Dataset Information

Perception of students on factors contributing to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Overweight and obesity among high school students is a growing distress not only to the individual wellbeing of a person but also to the productivity of communities and economic expense of both developed and developing nations. This study aimed to determine factors contributing to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati through the perception of students.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted in four (4) randomly selected senior high schools on South Tarawa, Kiribati from August to November, 2020. A purposive sampling was used to select thirty-two (32) students enrolled into form levels 4-7. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used for data collection using face-to-face in-depth interviews. Data was transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis method.

Results

This research revealed that the participants were 21 (65.6%) were females and 11 (34.4%) males from form levels four with 9 (28.1%) participants, five with 9 (28.1%) participants, and form seven with 14 (43.8%) participants. Five themes identified including determinants and prevention of overweight and obesity, education and health system factors, stigma, and being fat comes with high risk. These themes collectively elaborate on the essentials of overweight and obesity that are obtained from perspectives of students.

Conclusion

A strong cultural belief and practice has caused misperception of overweight and obesity among students with knowledge-behavior gap recognized as the main reason behind the failure in lifestyle changes among adolescents. Strengthen healthy behavioral lifestyle, improve awareness, and support feasible preventative strategies is recommended to all students.

SUBMITTER: Julia Tong T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8775294 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:OBJECTIVE:Adult women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Existing evidence on the sociocultural context remains unconsolidated. In this qualitative research synthesis, we aggregate research literature on contextual factors that potentially predispose adult women and adolescent girls to overweight and obesity to inform research, policies and programs over the life course. METHODS:PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, ProQuest Central, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched to locate qualitative research articles conducted in SSA countries beginning in the year 2000. After assessment for eligibility and critical appraisal, 17 studies were included in the synthesis. Textual data and quotes were synthesized using meta-aggregation methods proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. RESULTS:The synthesized studies were conducted in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Botswana. The three overarching themes across these studies were body size and shape ideals, barriers to healthy eating, and barriers to physical activity, with cultural and social factors as cross-cutting influences within the major themes. Culturally, the supposedly ideal African woman was expected to be overweight or obese, and voluptuous, and this was associated with their identity. Although being overweight or obese was not acceptable to adolescent girls, they desired to be voluptuous. Healthy food choices among women and adolescent girls were hampered by several factors including affordability of nutritious foods and peer victimization. Both adult women and adolescent girls experienced ageism as a barrier to physical activity. SIGNIFICANCE:This is the first qualitative research synthesis to amplify the voices of women and girls in SSA countries highlighting the challenges they face in maintaining a healthy body weight. Sociocultural, institutional and peer-related factors were powerful forces shaping body size preferences, food choices and participation in physical activity. Our study findings provide insights for the design of contextually appropriate obesity prevention interventions and lay the foundation for further research studies.

Project description:To evaluate prevalence and associated factors for myopia in high school students in Beijing.Grade 10 and 11 high school students were randomly selected from nine randomly selected districts of Beijing. The students underwent non-cylcoplegic auto-refractometry and an interview.Out of 4798 eligible students, 4677 (93.4%) students (mean age:16.9±0.7years;range:16-18 years) participated. Mean refractive error of right eyes and left eyes was -2.78±2.29 diopters and -2.59±2.50 diopters, respectively. Prevalence of myopia (defined as ≤ -1.00 diopters in the worse eye) was 80.7% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 79.6-81.8%). Out of 3773 students with myopia, 1525 (40.4%) wore glasses daily. In multiple logistic regression analysis, a higher prevalence of myopia was associated with female sex (odds ratio (OR) = 1.31;95%CI:1.11-1.55), Han ethnicity (OR = 1.64;95%CI:1.28-2.11), attending key schools (OR = 1.48;95%CI:1.24,1.77), higher family income (OR = 1.37;95%CI:1.09-1.71), longer time spent for near work (OR = 1.43;95%CI:1.06-1.93), shorter near work distance (OR = 1.87;95%CI:1.55-2.26), lower frequency of active rest during studying (OR = 1.40;95%CI:1.16-1.70), and parental myopia (OR = 2.28;95%CI:1.80-2.87). The interaction between distance from near work and time spent for near work was statistically (P = 0.03) significant. In multiple logistic regression analysis, higher prevalence of high myopia (≤-6.0 diopters) was associated with studying in key schools (OR = 1.38;95%CI:1.05,1.81), lower frequency of active rest during studying (OR = 1.40;95%CI:1.09,1.79), and a higher number of myopic parents (OR = 2.66;95%CI:2.08,3.40).A prevalence of about 80% for myopia and a prevalence of about 10% for high myopia in students aged 16 to 18 years and attending classes of grade 10 and 11 in a Chinese metropolitan region is another example of the high prevalence of moderate and high myopia in metropolitan areas of China. With this young myopic generation getting older, myopia as cause for visual impairment and blindness may further increase in importance. Future studies may address whether active rests during studying with looking into the distance are preventive against myopia development or progression.