Perception of students on factors contributing to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati: A qualitative study.

Tanebu Julia Tong,Nasser Salem Alqahtani,Masoud Mohammadnezhad,Mosese Salusalu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0260900

Abstract

BackgroundOverweight and obesity among high school students is a growing distress not only to the individual wellbeing of a person but also to the productivity of communities and economic expense of both developed and developing nations. This study aimed to determine factors contributing to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati through the perception of students.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted in four (4) randomly selected senior high schools on South Tarawa, Kiribati from August to November, 2020. A purposive sampling was used to select thirty-two (32) students enrolled into form levels 4–7. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used for data collection using face-to-face in-depth interviews. Data was transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis method.ResultsThis research revealed that the participants were 21 (65.6%) were females and 11 (34.4%) males from form levels four with 9 (28.1%) participants, five with 9 (28.1%) participants, and form seven with 14 (43.8%) participants. Five themes identified including determinants and prevention of overweight and obesity, education and health system factors, stigma, and being fat comes with high risk. These themes collectively elaborate on the essentials of overweight and obesity that are obtained from perspectives of students.ConclusionA strong cultural belief and practice has caused misperception of overweight and obesity among students with knowledge-behavior gap recognized as the main reason behind the failure in lifestyle changes among adolescents. Strengthen healthy behavioral lifestyle, improve awareness, and support feasible preventative strategies is recommended to all students.

Highlights

Overweight and obesity is a major issue that has tripled in the past 30 years [1], across the globe and affects the growth and development of society
Obesity among high school students in Kiribati improve awareness, and support feasible preventative strategies is recommended to all students
According to World Health Organization (WHO), it is the disease of developed countries that has recently become prevalent among Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) especially among 340 million children and adolescents below 19 years of age [2]

Summary

Introduction

Overweight and obesity is a major issue that has tripled in the past 30 years [1], across the globe and affects the growth and development of society. According to World Health Organization (WHO), it is the disease of developed countries that has recently become prevalent among Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) especially among 340 million children and adolescents below 19 years of age [2]. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in developed countries revealed 23.8% of boys and 22.6% among girls, while in developing countries the prevalence was 12.9% among boys and 13.4% in girls [4]. Overweight and obesity among high school students is a growing distress to the individual wellbeing of a person and to the productivity of communities and economic expense of both developed and developing nations. This study aimed to determine factors contributing to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati through the perception of students

Objectives

Results

Conclusion