Factors associated with body weight status among secondary school children in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia

This cross sectional study was conducted to determine the predictors of body weight status among secondary school students in Hulu Langat District of Selangor. A total of 455 adolescents from five secondary schools aged 13-16 years old were recruited through random cluster sampling. Socio-demographic status (age, gender, ethnicity, religion, parent’s income) were collected. Dietary intakes were measured using a 24-hour diet recall and total energy and macronutrient were compared with Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) value. Body weight and height were measured and BMI-for-age was calculated. A set of self-administered questionnaires of Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Perception of Teasing Scale (POTS), Secondary School Stressor Questionnaire (SSSQ), Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and Children Depression Inventory (CDI) were used to measure physical activity, perceived stress, weight teasing, secondary school stressor, parenting style, self-esteem and depression respectively. The mean age of the subjects was 14.33 ± 1.23 years old in which the percentage of males and females was 14.33 ± 1.23 years old in which the percentage of males and females was 50.3% and 49.7% respectively. More than half of the subjects were Malays (69.9%), followed by Chinese (17.1%), Indian (12.5%) and others (0.4%). Majority of the subjects (64.4%) having a normal body weight status, while 6.0% and 30% were severe thinness/thinness and overweight/obese respectively. Compared with RNI value, 92.3% (n=420) and 48.6% (n=221) of subjects had low total energy and protein intake respectively. Body weight status was only correlated with perceived stress (r=-0.097, p=0.04), weight teasing (r=0.514, p<0.000), academic related stressor (r=-0.095, p=0.043) and females adolescent’s permissive parenting style (r=-0.154, p=0.021), however not significantly correlated with physical activity(r=0.041, p=0.381) and depression (r=-0.030, p=0.527). Meanwhile, there was a significant difference in total energy (t=4.555, p=0.000), carbohydrate (t=3.781, p=0.000), protein (t=3.846, p=0.000) and fat intake (t=4.153, p=0.000) between overweight/obese and non-obese subjects. In addition, Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis was performed and results showed only age (ß=-0.153, p<0.05), weight-related teasing (ß=0.113, p<0.05) and carbohydrate intake (ß=- 0.048, p<0.05) significantly predict of body weight status, R2 = 0.749, ∆R2 = 0.746, F (4, 450) = 334.94, p<0.001. In term of Logistic Regression (LR) analysis, only one factor that significantly predict body weight status which was weight-related teasing (high weight-related teasing: OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.07, 0.21). Thus, these findings can contribute for future intervention programmes among school-aged students in order to curb the overweight and obesity among adolescents.

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