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Predictors of obesity in school‐aged Jordanian adolescents
Author(s) -
Manal Ibrahim AlKloub,
Mousa Ali AlHassan,
Erika Sivarajan Froelicher
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of nursing practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1440-172X
pISSN - 1322-7114
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-172x.2010.01857.x
Subject(s) - overweight , obesity , medicine , psychological intervention , gerontology , demography , cross sectional study , family income , psychiatry , endocrinology , pathology , sociology , economic growth , economics
Manal Ibrahim A‐K, Mousa Ali A‐H, Erika Sivarajan F. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16 : 397–405
Predictors of obesity in school‐aged Jordanian adolescents This cross‐sectional study aimed to estimate the frequency of overweight and obesity in adolescents as defined by the International Obesity Task Force, and to estimate the effect of sociodemographic and health behaviours (eating habits and physical activity) that predict obesity. A stratified (by gender) random sample of 518 adolescents, aged 15 or 16 years was obtained from eight public schools in Amman. In this sample 17.5% were overweight and 9.6% were obese. The predictors of obesity and overweight (excess weight) were: (i) fathers attained primary and secondary education; (ii) total monthly family income ≥ 300 (JD); (iii) working mothers; (iv) family size ≤ 6; and (v) having obese parents. Eating a low quality diet (chips, candy) was a significant dietary predictor of excess weight. The family variables found to be important predictors along with a low quality diet suggest that family interventions would be necessary in the control of adolescent excess weight.