Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Front Public Health. 2024 Apr 19;12:1323660. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1323660. eCollection 2024.
Childhood malnutrition is a public health issue in developing countries, leading to a double burden of malnutrition, which is associated with both overweight and underweight.
To assess body weight satisfaction and perception as well as body weight modification experiences, among adolescents from Saudi Arabia.
This study utilized a cross-sectional design targeting adolescents who attempted to modify their body weight. A questionnaire was constructed to measure their demographics, body weight satisfaction and perception, and experience concerning their weight modification attempts. The chi-square test was used to assess the association between the ability to modify weight and maintain the modification according to the ability to set an appropriate weight target based on the age and height of the adolescents, method of weight modification, and receipt of support to modify weight.
A total of 285 adolescents were recruited. More than half of the sample were female (58%); most respondents were secondary school students (73%). Nearly 45% had abnormal body weight where 12.6% were underweight, and 32.3% were overweight or obese. Most of the recruited sample were unsatisfied with their body weight (63%). Although 52% of the adolescents had a normal BMI, only 35% perceived their body weight as normal. Nearly 75% of the sample were able to modify their body weight. However, a smaller proportion were able to maintain the modification they achieved. The most frequently selected body weight modification method was dieting (83%), followed by exercise (69%). Only 40 adolescents (14%) reported consulting a physician regarding their body weight modification attempts. The most frequently reported source of support for weight modification was the family (51%), while the lowest frequency of support was reported concerning schools' contribution (29%). Upon assessing factors associated with the ability to modify weight or maintain the modification, a higher frequency of adolescents who indicated they employed dieting behavior were able to maintain the modification compared to other weight modification practices ( < 0.05).
The findings highlight the importance of collaboration between families, schools, and healthcare services to improve adolescent body image and ensure the adoption of healthy body weight modification practices among adolescents.
儿童期营养不良是发展中国家的一个公共卫生问题，导致营养不良的双重负担，这与超重和体重不足都有关。
评估沙特阿拉伯青少年的体重满意度和感知，以及体重改变的经历。
本研究采用横断面设计，针对试图改变体重的青少年。构建了一份问卷来衡量他们的人口统计学特征、体重满意度和感知，以及他们尝试体重改变的经历。使用卡方检验评估根据青少年的年龄和身高设定适当体重目标的能力、体重改变的方法以及获得的体重改变支持与改变体重和维持体重改变的能力之间的关系。
共招募了 285 名青少年。样本中超过一半是女性（58%）；大多数受访者是中学生（73%）。近 45%的人有异常体重，其中 12.6%体重不足，32.3%超重或肥胖。大多数被招募的样本对自己的体重不满意（63%）。尽管 52%的青少年有正常的 BMI，但只有 35%的人认为自己的体重正常。近 75%的样本能够改变他们的体重。然而，只有较小比例的人能够维持他们所取得的体重改变。最常选择的体重改变方法是节食（83%），其次是运动（69%）。只有 40 名青少年（14%）报告在改变体重时咨询过医生。最常报告的体重改变支持来源是家庭（51%），而学校的支持频率最低（29%）。在评估与改变体重或维持体重改变能力相关的因素时，与其他体重改变做法相比，报告更多采用节食行为的青少年更有可能维持体重改变（<0.05）。
研究结果强调了家庭、学校和医疗保健服务之间合作的重要性，以改善青少年的身体形象，并确保青少年采用健康的体重改变做法。
