The Relationship Between Overweight, Obesity and Academic Performance of Adolescents in A Senior High School in Accra

Abstract

Introduction:

Obesity has been described as an epidemic with more than one-third of children aged of 2 to 19, said to be overweight or obese, as at 2013 (CDC). Adult obesity has been strongly linked with obesity in childhood and adolescence. It is therefore imperative to tackle this problem in the adolescent stage, to prevent entering adulthood with one of the major risk factors for Non-Communicable diseases. Known immediate consequences of obesity include self-esteem, reduced cognitive capabilities and memory functions. Academic performance has also been found to be related to cognitive and memory functions. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the association between overweight/obesity and students academic performance in a senior high school setting.

Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done. A mixed public school in Accra, with students belonging to families to the high and low socio-economic class, which consented to giving access to students’ end-of-term marks, was selected. A multi-stage sampling design was used to select the form (based on years spent in school) and classes (based on courses offered). A simple random sampling was then used to select a representative sample of 390 adolescents (aged 10 to 19) in the school. Pre-coded structured questionnaires were administered to obtain information on sociodemographic, genetic, dietary and general lifestyle factors. Using a standardized protocol, height (to the nearest centimetre) and weight (to the nearest kilogram) were measured. Overweight was defined as BMI more than or equal to 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile, while obesity as more than or equal to 95th BMI percentile, using the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Growth Charts (2000).