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Overweight and its associated risk factors among students in tertiary institutions of learning in Mongu District of Western Province, Zambia; A cross-sectional survey
Mooka, Larry L; Funduluka, Priscilla; Nawa, Mukumbuta.
  • Mooka, Larry L; Lewanika College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health, P. O. Box 910147, Mongu, Zambia. Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, School of Public Health. Environmental Sciences. Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, P. O. Box 33991, Lusaka, Zambia. Mongu. ZM
  • Funduluka, Priscilla; Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, School of Public Health. Environmental Sciences. Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, P. O. Box 33991, Lusaka, Zambia. Lusaka. ZM
  • Nawa, Mukumbuta; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Environmental Sciences. Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, P. O. Box 33991, Lusaka, Zambia. Lusaka. ZM
Med. j. Zambia ; 50(4): 320-329, 2023. figures, tables
Article in English | AIM | ID: biblio-1555280
ABSTRACT

Background:

Overweight and obesity are key public health issues in many high-income countries and have become a major public health concern affecting all ages, including adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries. This study determined the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their associated factors among undergraduate students at colleges and universities in the Mongu district of the Western Province of Zambia.

Methods:

This was across-sectional study. Undergraduate students aged 18 to 26 years were sampled from two colleges and one university in Mongu. Data was collected electronically by trained research assistants using a structured questionnaire. using Kobo Collect software. Data was analysed using Stata version 14 software. The analysis included descriptive statistics, using counts,frequencies ,percentages, means and medians depending on the distribution of the data. Chi-squared tests of association, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression were done to test for association between overweight and independent variables. Ap-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:

Atotal of 330 students were captured in the survey; over half of the respondents were female students 214 (64.85%), while 116 (35.15%) were male respondents. Body Mass Index (BMI) showed that 21 (6.8%) were underweight, 208 (63.0%) had normal weight, 76 (23.0%) were overweight, and 25 (7.6%)wereobese.Factorsassociatedwithoverweight and obesity included female sex a OR 1.68 (95%CI 1.02 ­ 2.76), age and alcohol intake.

Conclusions:

Athird of the students were either overweight or obese. Sex, age and alcohol intake were significantly associated with overweight and obesityamongstudents.Theprevalenceofoverweight and obesity is high among young adults, and this calls for early interventions in learning institutions to combat obesity.
Subject(s)


Full text: Available Index: AIM (Africa) Limits: Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Med. j. Zambia Year: 2023 Type: Article Institution/Affiliation country: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Environmental Sciences. Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, P. O. Box 33991, Lusaka, Zambia/ZM / Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, School of Public Health/ZM / Lewanika College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health, P. O. Box 910147, Mongu, Zambia/ZM

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Full text: Available Index: AIM (Africa) Limits: Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Med. j. Zambia Year: 2023 Type: Article Institution/Affiliation country: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Environmental Sciences. Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, P. O. Box 33991, Lusaka, Zambia/ZM / Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, School of Public Health/ZM / Lewanika College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health, P. O. Box 910147, Mongu, Zambia/ZM