Prevalence of overweight and underweight and its associated factors among male and female university students in Thailand
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2015
TITLE AUTHOR(S): S.Pengpid, K.Peltzer
KEYWORDS: HEALTH, OBESITY, RISK BEHAVIOUR, STUDENTS (COLLEGE), THAILAND, WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT: Public Health, Societies and Belonging (HSC)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 8979
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/1648
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/1648
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
Lifestyle habits of Thai society lead young people to conditions of potential cardiovascular risk. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight/obese and underweight along with associated factors in a sample of Thai university students. Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed anthropometric measurements and a self-administered questionnaire among university students selected by stratified random sampling. The sample included 860 undergraduate university students from Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand (27.3% males), with age ranging from 18 to 25 years (M = 20.1, SD = 1.3 years). Results indicated that the median BMI was 20.2, which was higher in men than in women. Overall, 21.5% were underweight and 20.8% were overweight (7.8% overweight and 13% obese. More men than women were overweight and obese, whereas more women than men were underweight. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that among men, older age, trying to eat fibre, and trying to lose weight were associated with overweight or obesity and among women trying to lose weight, depression symptoms and normal sleep duration were associated with overweight or obesity. The risk of underweight was greater among men living off campus, having a high income background, and short sleep duration and among women with low physical activity and who were not trying to lose weight. Considering the large percentage of overweight and underweight found in this study and the associated possible negative health consequences, it is suggested to include information on the assessment of adequate weight in health promotion programmes.-
Related Research Outputs:
- Obesity and lifestyle factors in male hospital out-patients in Thailand
- Stunting, overweight and obesity in the very young: two sides of the coin
- Heavy internet use and its associations with health risk and health-promoting behaviours among Thai university students
- Prevalence of overweight/obesity and its associated factors among university students from 22 countries
- Underestimation of weight and its associated factors in overweight and obese university students from 21 low, middle and emerging economy countries
- The association of nutrition behaviors and physical activity with general and central obesity in Caribbean undergraduate students
- Overweight and obesity and associated factors among school-aged adolescents in six Pacific Island countries in Oceania
- Dietary behaviour among male out-patients in Thailand
- Dietary, social, and environmental determinants of obesity in Kenyan women
- What's in the lunchbox?: dietary behaviour of learners from disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape, South Africa
- Prevalence of obesity and associated factors in South Africans 50 years and older
- Overweight and obesity and associated factors among school-aged adolescents in Ghana and Uganda
- Body weight and body image among a sample of female and male South African university students
- Predictors of overweight and obesity in adult women in Nairobi province, Kenya
- Overweight and obesity and associated factors among school-aged adolescents in Thailand
- Prevalence of overweight/obesity and central obesity and its associated factors among a sample of university students in India
- Subjective happiness and health behavior among a sample of university students in India
- Prevalence of health risk behaviors and their associated factors among university students in Kyrgyzstan
- Prevalence of health behaviors and their associated factors among a sample of university students in India
- Prehypertension and associated factors among university students in the Philippines