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Abstract
Obesity and overweight among children and adolescents have caused a prime public health apprehension, as they are significantly associated with medical and psychosocial comorbidity. Children with high BMI often become obese adults who are more vulnerable to or at risk for many chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. It is indispensable to further examine obesity and overweight in school children and identify their modifiable risk factors. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aims to explore the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Palestinian adolescents in secondary schools and their relationship with sociodemographic factors and dietary habits. Obesity and overweight were defined using WHO CDC sex specific growth chart for children aged 2-18 years. A total sample comprised 469 students (247 (52.9%) males, 222 (47.1%) females), aged from 15-19 years old (mean 16.5± 0.7) years was randomly selected from four (4) different areas in Hebron city, Palestine. The results revealed that obesity prevalence was 5.8% and overweight was 14.3% among the students, with significant higher prevalence among those living in a village compared to a city and a camp, (p<0.01). Obesity and overweight were also significantly associated with lower self-satisfaction and meal skipping, (p<0.01). In conclusion, considerable prevalence levels of obesity and overweight were reported among the study sample. There is a need to promote the healthy diet and life style among this age group to improve their dietary habits and practices. Further research is needed to determine obesity risk factors in longitudinal design.
Key words: obesity, prevalence, adolescents, risk factors, Palestine