Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Adolescents in Tarqumia, Palestine

Background The worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity have increased drastically in recent years in both developed and developing countries, making obesity prevention an international public health priority. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among students aged 13?17 years was carried out for the three month period starting from February 2011 in a southern rural Palestinian community, and to compare the prevalence by gender, age-group and family income. Measurements Anthropometric measurements and demographic data were taken from all students by the researcher. The body weight of the students in light clothes was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg using a digital scale calibrated daily. Height was measured to the nearest 1.0 cm using a metric measuring tape affixed on the wall. Students were weighed on a digital scale twice and the average was recorded. Results In a cross sectional study sample of 720 school students the prevalence of overweight (body mass index ? 85th percentile ? 95th percentile) and obesity (body mass index ? 95th percentile) was 27.8% (18.6% overweight and 9.2 % obese) and was significantly higher among male students, students with moderate income families and those aged 13 years old or younger. Conclusion This high prevalence of overweight and obesity is a serious concern for public health in Palestine. This health problem is rapidly increasing in developing countries including Palestine to alarming levels, which indicate an urgent need for effective intervention to deter or to curb this trend.