Name:Dr. Shatha Zuhair Alzuhair
Consultant Family medicine
Master Public health
Name:Dr.Ali Rashid Alsubaie PhD Public health
“Evaluation of the Prevalence and Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity among high school female adolescents in the Dammam and Khobar area in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia”
:Abstract
Background and objectives: Being overweight or obese increases the risk of chronic diseases, reduces individual satisfaction, and incurs costs to the health care system. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of overweight or obesity and obesity-related factors in female adolescent students in Dammam and Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional quantitative survey (n=374) conducted in Dammam and Khobar. The survey targeted 15-18-year-old female students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. The chi-square test was employed to examine the impact of categorical factors on adiposity
Results: Of the 374 students who took the field test, 239 (63.9%) went to public schools, and 135 (36.1%) went to private schools. The study found that 26.8% of the participants were overweight or obese, 78% among them from public schools and 22 % from private schools. The results showed that parents’ education level and type of school were associated with adolescent weight, while other factors significantly increased the chance of being overweight or obese student, such as students living with a single career parent (p-value of 0.003; OR = 1.737; 95% CI: 1.803–17.904) and lower financial levels (p-value of 0.021; OR = 1.006; 95% CI 1.162–6.441). In contrast, students who walked to or used school services had a decreased chance of being overweight or obese (p-value of 0.001; OR = 2.064;95% CI: 0.037–0.297). Conclusion: The study found that many of Saudi adolescent girls in research area are overweight or obese, which emphasizing the need for societal and individual health- conscious school policies.
Keywords
Adolescents, BMI, Overweight, Obesity, School Health, Students, Saudi Arabia
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