Ncube Kgomotso R, Khamker Nadira, van der Westhuizen Deborah, Corbett Thea
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria.
Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
S Afr J Psychiatr. 2017 Aug 31;23:973. doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v23i0.973. eCollection 2017.
To describe biological and psychosocial factors associated with body mass index (BMI) for age in adolescents attending an outpatient department at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.
A total of 50 adolescents participated in a convenience sampling research study. BMIs were calculated using their weights and heights to distinguish different weight categories based on the 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts. Based on their BMIs, participants were categorised as underweight, normal body weight, overweight and obese. The association between the BMIs of the biological parents and their adolescent children was investigated using the Fisher's exact test. The data collection included adolescents' demographic information, psychiatric diagnosis, psychiatric medication, nutritional intake, eating habits and the intensity of physical activity such as sports, leisure and sedentary behaviour.
The study was conducted at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital's adolescents outpatient department.
Of the participants, 72% were males. Forty-eight per cent of all the adolescents had a normal BMI, mostly of black African descent. When comparing the adolescents' BMI with that of their biological mothers, 50% of those who were obese also had mothers who were mostly obese (53.8%). The Fisher's exact test indicated a statistically significant association between the BMI categories of mothers and those of their adolescent children (Fisher's exact test, = 0.032). Despite the above association, no significant association could be found regarding their nutritional intake and eating habits. Also, no significant association was found between the adolescents' BMIs and the use of psychotropic medication, as compared with other previous studies. Furthermore, no association could be found between adolescents' BMI categories and the level of intensity of physical activity such as sports and leisure activities or sedentary behaviours.
This study supports previous findings that a significant association exists between maternal and childhood obesity. The association between BMI and psychotropic medication, nutritional intake and eating habits, and level of physical activity could not be confirmed in our study. The study results were limited by the small sample size and the convenience sampling method. Although this was only a descriptive study, it highlighted the complexity of biological and psychosocial factors involved in weight gain. Further studies are needed to explore the interplay of physical and environmental risk factors for childhood obesity, as well as to ensure early identification and education of patients and their families to prevent development of obesity.
描述在韦斯科皮斯精神病院门诊部就诊的青少年中，与年龄别体重指数（BMI）相关的生物学和社会心理因素。
共有50名青少年参与了一项便利抽样研究。根据他们的体重和身高计算BMI，依据2007年世界卫生组织（WHO）生长图表区分不同的体重类别。根据BMI，参与者被分为体重过轻、正常体重、超重和肥胖。使用费舍尔精确检验调查亲生父母的BMI与其青少年子女之间的关联。数据收集包括青少年的人口统计学信息、精神科诊断、精神科用药、营养摄入、饮食习惯以及体育活动强度，如运动、休闲和久坐行为。
该研究在韦斯科皮斯精神病院青少年门诊部进行。
参与者中72%为男性。所有青少年中有48%的BMI正常，大多数为非洲黑人后裔。将青少年的BMI与其亲生母亲的BMI进行比较时，50%肥胖的青少年其母亲大多也肥胖（53.8%）。费舍尔精确检验表明母亲的BMI类别与其青少年子女的BMI类别之间存在统计学上的显著关联（费舍尔精确检验，P = 0.032）。尽管有上述关联，但在他们的营养摄入和饮食习惯方面未发现显著关联。此外，与其他先前研究相比，青少年的BMI与精神药物的使用之间也未发现显著关联。而且，青少年的BMI类别与体育活动强度，如运动和休闲活动或久坐行为的水平之间未发现关联。
本研究支持先前的发现，即母亲肥胖与儿童肥胖之间存在显著关联。在我们的研究中，无法证实BMI与精神药物、营养摄入和饮食习惯以及体育活动水平之间的关联。研究结果受样本量小和便利抽样方法的限制。尽管这只是一项描述性研究，但它突出了体重增加所涉及的生物学和社会心理因素的复杂性。需要进一步研究来探索儿童肥胖的身体和环境风险因素之间的相互作用，以及确保对患者及其家庭进行早期识别和教育以预防肥胖的发展。
