Obesity Associations with Behavior and Anxiety in Lebanese Adolescents

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the influence of obesity on physical, social and emotional well-being of a representative sample of Lebanese adolescents. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire and a behavior checklist were distributed to 700 Lebanese adolescents aged 12-18 years. Results: A total of 587 were collected (response rate: 69.57%) of whom 231(47.4%) were male and 256(52.6%) were female. Overall, 10.5% of the adolescents were obese. Activity score, as part of the competence scale, showed that 77 (15.9%) had activity scores below normal. Moreover, borderline scores were shown in 35 (7.1%) participants, whereas obesity is significantly associated with low level of social activities among female adolescents. There was no statistical significant difference among obese, overweight and normal weight participants of both genders concerning the withdrawal and anxiety depression scales. In conclusion, obesity among Lebanese adolescents is significantly associated with decreased social activity level among females and imposes a health concern for both genders in later years. The alarming increase in obesity in the juvenile population today.