Association between obesity, behavioural and environmental factors among adolescents attending private colleges in Brazzaville

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of obesity among students attending private secondary schools in Brazzaville and identify factors that contribute to weight gain. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study of 1030 students in private schools. Data analysis was performed using Epi Info7 and SPSS 2.2 software. Pearson's Chi2 test, varied and multi-varied uni logistic regression were used. Results: among the 1030 students who responded to the questionnaire, 15.3% were overweight, and 5.1% were obese. The age of the subjects ranged from 13 to 18 years with a median of 15 years; 57.1% were female.Factors associated with obesity/overweight were: fruit and vegetable consumption, the number of daily meals, snacking, video games, extracurricular sports and walking to school. Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of obesity and overweight in private schools in Brazzaville and will allow the implementation of management strategies for these students.