PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, DIET AND SOCIAL STATUS AS RISK FACTORS FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AMONG DAKAHLIA ADOLESCENT

Objective: This study is carried out to investigate associations of overweight and obesity with physical activity, diet and social status among adolescent school students in Dakahlia governorate. Methods: Across sectional analytical sample representative of preparatory and secondary school students aged from 10- 18 years old was taken. The targets of this study were S25 adolescent students, where randomization occurred at the urban and rural locations of the govcncrate and at the school levels. Medical, dietary and social questionnaires were used to cover topics related to body weight, physical activity, diet and social Status. Data were analyzed for boys (431) and girls(394) separately using BM! as the dependant variable, and performance of physical activity whether regular or not, adequacy of total caloric ,calcium and vitamin D intake as independent variables. Differences with P 1.05 were considered significant. All tests were two-sided. The data were analyzed with SPSS for Window, version 10 Results: The study shows that 67.1% of adolescent boys are performing physical exercise, versus only 35.7% of girls. Among physically active adolescents boys and girls more than 72% are within the normal body weight. Significantly adolescent girls who are physically inactive are overweight and obese accounting to37.5% versus 22.7% among physically active girls. Regarding regularity in performance of physical activity 78.5 % of girls performing regular physical activity are within normal weight, and the percentage decreased significantly to 60 % among girls not regularly performing physical activity (p-0.007).Do Performing physical exercise is associated with normal body weight and decreased overweight and obesity percentage among adolescent boys (Odds Ratio value =1.37) and girls (Odds Ratio value =2.14). Performance of physical activity is not significantly related to social level. Regarding caloric intake, 11.3% of girls taking 75%- 100 % of the caloric requirements, are over weights and this percentage is mostly doubling reaching 22.4% with the caloric intake ≥100% of the requirements (not significant).Among girls taking 75%- 100% of the calcium requirements.42.9% are within the normal body weight,those receiving ≥100% of the calcium intake, the percentage of normal body weight rises to reach 64.7% although not significant Among girls taking 50% of vit D requirements 13.7%/ are overweight this percentage is increased significantly with intake of ≥100%) vit D requirement to 24.45% (P=0.01). Conclusion and Recommendations: Body weight of adolescents is largely affected by physical activity.Regularity in performance of physical exercise has an impact on adolescent girls body weight. Social factors have no effect on adolescent s body weight neither in performance of physical activity. Interventions to increase physical activity for school students should target adolescents of all shapes and sizes, and may best be achieved by school policies requiring physical education or after-school sports.