ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in five Arab countries, relative to age and sex. Methods: A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to select the secondary school students from five Arab countries (Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria and United Arab Emirates). The total sample was 3302 (1584 males, 1718 females). Weight and height were measured, and body mass index was used to calculate the proportion of overweight and obesity based on the International Obesity Task Force standard (IOTF). Results: Kuwaiti adolescents showed the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among both males and females, compared to their counterparts in other countries. There was no trend in the proportion of overweight and obesity by age in any of the countries included in the study. Conclusion: Adolescent obesity has reached a critical level in the Arab countries. Therefore there is an urgent need to establish programs to prevent and control obesity among schoolchildren in these countries (AU)
Objetivo: determinar la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en adolescentes de cinco países árabes, en relación con la edad el sexo. Métodos: se empleó una técnica de muestreo aleatorio, estratificado y por etapas para seleccionar a estudiantes de secundaria de cinco países árabes (Kuwait, Libia, Palestina, Siria y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos). La muestra total fue de 3.302 (1.584 chicos, 1.718 chicas). Se midieron el peso y la talla y se utilizó el índice de masa corporal para calcular la proporción de sobrepeso y obesidad basándonos en el estándar de la International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). Resultados: los adolescentes kuwaitíes mostraron la mayor prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad tanto en chicas como en chicos, en comparación con otros países. No hubo una tendencia en la proporción de sobrepeso y obesidad por sexo en ningún país de los incluidos en el estudio. Conclusión: la obesidad en adolescentes ha alcanzado un nivel crítico en los países árabes. Por lo tanto, existe la necesidad urgente de establecer programas para prevenir y controlar la obesidad en los escolares de estos países (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Obesity/epidemiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Age and Sex Distribution , Middle East/epidemiology , Healthy People ProgramsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in five Arab countries, relative to age and sex. METHODS: A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to select the secondary school students from five Arab countries (Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria and United Arab Emirates). The total sample was 3302 (1584 males, 1718 females). Weight and height were measured, and body mass index was used to calculate the proportion of overweight and obesity based on the International Obesity Task Force standard (IOTF). RESULTS: Kuwaiti adolescents showed the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among both males and females, compared to their counterparts in other countries. There was no trend in the proportion of overweight and obesity by age in any of the countries included in the study. CONCLUSION: Adolescent obesity has reached a critical level in the Arab countries. Therefore there is an urgent need to establish programs to prevent and control obesity among schoolchildren in these countries.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in five Arab countries, relative to age and sex. Methods: A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to select the secondary school students from five Arab countries (Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria and United Arab Emirates). The total sample was 3302 (1584 males, 1718 females). Weight and height were measured, and body mass index was used to calculate the proportion of overweight and obesity based on the International Obesity Task Force standard (IOTF). Results: Kuwaiti adolescents showed the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among both males and females, compared to their counterparts in other countries. There was no trend in the proportion of overweight and obesity by age in any of the countries included in the study. Conclusion: Adolescent obesity has reached a critical level in the Arab countries. Therefore there is an urgent need to establish programs to prevent and control obesity among schoolchildren in these countries.
