Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran

Introduction: Obesity is an important health concern worldwide and is a growing problem in Iran. Adolescent  obesity has a major role in development of adulthood obesity and its complications. The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk fact...

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Main Authors: Behnaz Abiri, Parvin Sarbakhsh, Mohammadreza Vafa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2019-12-01
Series:Central Asian Journal of Global Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://cajgh.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/cajgh/article/view/413
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author Behnaz Abiri
Parvin Sarbakhsh
Mohammadreza Vafa
author_facet Behnaz Abiri
Parvin Sarbakhsh
Mohammadreza Vafa
author_sort Behnaz Abiri
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Obesity is an important health concern worldwide and is a growing problem in Iran. Adolescent  obesity has a major role in development of adulthood obesity and its complications. The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in female adolescents living in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 2,132 female adolescents aged 14-17 years in Tehran recruited between 2017 and 2018. Weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were considered as < 5th, ≥ 85th, and ≥ 95th percentile, respectively, of CDC BMI-for age and sex criteria. Adolescents and their mothers filled in the questionnaires on physical activity, computer use, duration of breastfeeding, total sleep time, and family socioeconomic status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0 software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 24.1% and 6.5%, respectively. The prevalences of overweight and obesity were highest in the South District (28.9% and 7.7%, respectively) and were lowest in the North District (19.1% and 5.2%, respectively). There were significant differences in physical activity level (P < 0.001), total sleep time (P < 0.001), duration of breastfeeding (P < 0.01), and daily computer use (P < 0.001) among the four groups (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese). Regarding the socioeconomic status, parental education level and economic status were significantly higher in those who had normal weight compared to other weight groups (in both, P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that overweight and obesity among female adolescents in Tehranhave become a major public health concern. Level of physical activity, computer use, sleep duration, breastfeeding duration, levels of parental education, and economic status were associated with overweight and obesity prevalence.
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spelling doaj.art-0d7c3af7b48e40ea9923dadefc2c81ac2022-12-21T20:25:52ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghCentral Asian Journal of Global Health2166-74032019-12-018110.5195/cajgh.2019.413174Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, IranBehnaz Abiri0Parvin Sarbakhsh1Mohammadreza Vafa2Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Paramedicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IranDepartment of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranDepartment of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Pediatric Growth and Development Research Center, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranIntroduction: Obesity is an important health concern worldwide and is a growing problem in Iran. Adolescent  obesity has a major role in development of adulthood obesity and its complications. The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in female adolescents living in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 2,132 female adolescents aged 14-17 years in Tehran recruited between 2017 and 2018. Weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were considered as < 5th, ≥ 85th, and ≥ 95th percentile, respectively, of CDC BMI-for age and sex criteria. Adolescents and their mothers filled in the questionnaires on physical activity, computer use, duration of breastfeeding, total sleep time, and family socioeconomic status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0 software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 24.1% and 6.5%, respectively. The prevalences of overweight and obesity were highest in the South District (28.9% and 7.7%, respectively) and were lowest in the North District (19.1% and 5.2%, respectively). There were significant differences in physical activity level (P < 0.001), total sleep time (P < 0.001), duration of breastfeeding (P < 0.01), and daily computer use (P < 0.001) among the four groups (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese). Regarding the socioeconomic status, parental education level and economic status were significantly higher in those who had normal weight compared to other weight groups (in both, P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that overweight and obesity among female adolescents in Tehranhave become a major public health concern. Level of physical activity, computer use, sleep duration, breastfeeding duration, levels of parental education, and economic status were associated with overweight and obesity prevalence.http://cajgh.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/cajgh/article/view/413overweightobesitybody mass indexfemale adolescentstehran
spellingShingle Behnaz Abiri
Parvin Sarbakhsh
Mohammadreza Vafa
Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran
Central Asian Journal of Global Health
overweight
obesity
body mass index
female adolescents
tehran
title Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran
title_full Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran
title_fullStr Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran
title_short Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in Tehran, Iran
title_sort prevalence of overweight obesity and associated risk factors in healthy female adolescents in tehran iran
topic overweight
obesity
body mass index
female adolescents
tehran
url http://cajgh.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/cajgh/article/view/413
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AT parvinsarbakhsh prevalenceofoverweightobesityandassociatedriskfactorsinhealthyfemaleadolescentsintehraniran
AT mohammadrezavafa prevalenceofoverweightobesityandassociatedriskfactorsinhealthyfemaleadolescentsintehraniran