Knowledge and Practices on Prevention of Overweight and Obesity Among Secondary School Adolescents in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania
Recently, overweight and obesity among adolescents have become a growing concern, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of both preventive and effective management strategies. The present study aimed to assess knowledge and practices on the prevention of overweight and obesity among secondary...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Advances in Public Health |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/adph/9970378 |
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| Summary: | Recently, overweight and obesity among adolescents have become a growing concern, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of both preventive and effective management strategies. The present study aimed to assess knowledge and practices on the prevention of overweight and obesity among secondary school adolescents in Morogoro Municipality. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2023 among 253 randomly selected students studying in Form 1, Form 2, and 3 classes. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25 was used for descriptive statistics to describe the study variables and logistic regression to identify factors associated with knowledge and practices on prevention of overweight and obesity. Among 253 respondents, 129 (51.0%) were females. Approximately 30% (n = 75) of the students mentioned vegetables and fruits as healthy foods, while 20.6% (n = 57) of the students were not aware of unhealthy foods. Despite the small number of students knowing that fruits and vegetables are healthy, only 20.2% (n = 51) and 43.5% (n = 110) reported consuming them 7 days a week, respectively. Most of the participants (82.2%, n = 208) were aware of the causes of overweight and obesity, and increasing physical activity (51.8%, n = 131) was the most cited preventive measure. Being in a higher level of study, that is, Form 2 (AOR 9.33, 95% CI: 2.71–32.10) and Form 3 (AOR 5.02, 95% CI: 1.38–18.25) were significantly associated with increased knowledge and practices on prevention of overweight and obesity. Conclusively, knowledge and practices regarding the prevention of obesity and overweight among secondary school adolescents vary significantly. While some aspects showed good knowledge and practices, others were less understood and practiced. This suggests a need for implementing a comprehensive community-based health education program focusing on adolescents as a window of opportunity for current and future prevention of overweight, obesity, and associated comorbidities. |
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| ISSN: | 2314-7784 |