Conference Proceedings and Papers

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Conference proceeding is a collection of academic papers published in the context of an academic conference or workshop. Conference proceedings typically contain the contributions made by researchers at the conference. They are the written record of the work that is presented to fellow researchers.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.GhanaSubject: search.filters.subject.Adolescent

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    An Exploratory Study of Physical Activity and Over-Weight in Two Senior High Schools in the Accra Metropolis
    (Ghana Medical Journal, 2013-12) Nyawornota, V.K.; Aryeetey, R.; Bosomprah, S.; Aikins, M.
    Background: Overweight and physical inactivity are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases. However, little evidence on physical activity, and overweight exists to support intervention in specific sub-populations including adolescents in low-income settings like Ghana. This study aimed at estimating overweight and determining the pattern and level of physical activity among senior high school students in the Accra Metropolis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Accra Metropolis, among senior high school students, ages 15 to 19 years. Participants were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling technique. Structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurement were employed to gather information for the study. Students were considered as overweight if their Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ +1SD, and obese if BMI ≥ +2SD. Results: Out of 444 students, 17% were classified as engaging in low level physical activity, 49% in moderate activity, and 34% in high level of physical activity. Much of the activity in boys was recreational while among girls, was due to domestic chores. The prevalence of overweight was 11.7%. Overweight prevalence was higher among female students (15.6%) compared to 4.5% in males. Furthermore the risk of overweight was lower among students who engaged in high physical activity than those engaged in low activity. Overweight was independently associated with physical activity (p=0.01), sex (p=0.001) and age (p=0.01), after controlling for age sex and physical activity and diet. Conclusion: Majority of students in the study engaged in moderate to high physical activity. The prevalence of overweight was 11.7%. Physical activity was significantly related to overweight among students in the study.