Prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among adolescents of some schools of Misr El-Kadema, Cairo, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted on adolescent students in 4 schools of Misr El-Kadema educational directorate, the total number of students in these schools was 3482 according to data from the Ministry of Education for the academic year 2003-2004 [Ministry of Education, 2004]. The study passed through two stage the 1[st] stage was case finding survey [1551 students] to find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the studied group. The 2[nd] stage was case control study [151 excess weight cases and 151 normal weight controls]. Cases represented a random sample of students with excess weight, and controls were random sample of normal weight students. Cases and controls were subjected to a thorough questionnaire for determinants of excess weight. They were physically examined, anthropometrically assessed and a blood sample was withdrawn. We find that overall prevalence of obesity was 11.6% and that for overweight was 18.6%. Cases had significant higher mean weight, waist, BMI, fat%, duration of TV watching and using computer than controls. They had significant higher monthly per capita income and consumed significant more fat and fast foods than controls. By logistic regression, the most significant predictors of excess weight were lack of regular physical activity, positive family history of obesity, daily intake of fried potatoes, more daily sleeping hours, lower educational level of mothers, more daily computer using and TV watching hours. Also our results showed that; the odds of regular exercising and having a higher than illiterate/read and write levels of education of mothers were lower among excess weight adolescents. The odds of dissatisfaction with current weight, eating when bothered, eating lots of snacks, having family history of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, taking total energy >/= 100% RDA [Recommended daily allowance], eating daily baladi bread, feno bread, ghee, hydrogenated oils, fried potatoes and drinking carbonated beverages were higher among those with excess weight compared to normal weight ones