Association between physical activity level and body fat percentage among adolescents in boarding schools in Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to determine psychosocial risk factors of overweight and obesity among Malaysian adolescents. Method: A total of 8500 respondents (41.3% males and 58.7% females) aged 12—19 years were recruited in this study. A majority of the respondents were Malay (57.9%), followed by Chinese (20.0%), Bumiputra Sabah (8.4%), Indian (6.0%), Bumiputra Sarawak (5.0%) and other ethnic groups (2.7%). BMI-for-age was categorized based on WHO Growth Reference (5—19 years old). Socio-cultural influences and body image were assessed using Socio-cultural Influences on Body Image and Body Change Questionnaire and Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale. Result: A majority of the respondents were normal weight (68.8%) whereas 14.7% were overweight, 10.6% were obese, 5.1% were thin and 0.9% were severely thin. Based on the binary logistic regression, overweight and obese adolescents were 1.129 times more likely to receive higher pressure to increase weight from peers than their normal weight counterparts (95%CI = 1.099—1.160). Besides, they were 1.056 times more likely to feel pressured by the media to increase weight (95%CI = 1.032—1.081) and 1.108 times more likely to develop body image disturbances (95%C1 = 1.099—1.177). In contrast, high parental pressure to lose weight was a protective factor among the overweight and obese adolescents (OR = 0.900; CI = 0.888—0.912). Conclusion: Body image disturbances and high pressure to increase weight from peers and media were risk factors while high pressure to lose weight from parents was a protective factor of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Thus, future studies should determine how socio-cultural influences and body image affect overweight and obese adolescents.