Prevalence and predictors of overweight and obesity among school-aged children in urban Ghana
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Date
2017
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Publisher
BMC Obesity
Abstract
Background: Childhood overnutrition is a serious public health problem, with consequences that extend into
adulthood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among
school-age children in two urban settings in Ghana.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 3089 children (9–15 years) recruited between December 2009 and February
2012 in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Socio-demographic, dietary, and physical activity data were collected using pretested
questionnaires. BMI-for-age z-scores were used to categorize anthropometric data of the children as thin, normal,
or overweight/obese. Determinants of overweight were examined using multiple logistic regressions.
Results: Seventeen percent of children were overweight or obese. Children who reported lower participation
(< 3 times/week) in sports activity were 44% more likely to be overweight or obese (AOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.07,
1.94). Maternal tertiary education (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.42), higher household socioeconomic status (AOR = 1.
56, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.06), and attending private school (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.32) were also associated with elevated
risk of overweight and obesity.
Conclusions: Physical inactivity is a modifiable independent determinant of overweight or obesity among
Ghanaian school-aged children. Promoting and supporting a physically active lifestyle in this population is likely to
reduce the risk of childhood overnutrition.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
School-age children, Overweight, Obesity, Physical activity, Urban, Ghana