1 Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated with Obesity among Adolescent Libyan student’s in Malaysia

Abstract : The main objective of this study was to evaluate the hypothesized risk factors associated with obesity among Libyan adolescents schooling in Malaysian Libyan schools representing primary, middle and high schools level education. A cross-sectional study was conducted by using a self-administered questionnaire to access the anthropometric parameters, physical activity, dietary intake, food habits, sedentary behavior’s and nutrition knowledge among 180 adolescents in Libyan Schools of Malaysia. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, independent t-test, and ANOVA were performed on the collected data. The results indicated that the highest percentage of overweight was in the primary school students and the highest percentage of obesity was in the high school adolescents. A significant difference was found in mean physical activity scores between male and female students. The means of time (hrs) spent on dietary habits for male and female students were found to be 3.06±0.49 times/week and 3.09±0.46 times/week respectively. The means of time spent on sedentary behaviors’s for male and female students were found to be 2.69±0.71 hours/week and 2.73±0.71 hours/week respectively. The mean nutrition knowledge score for male and female students were found to be 2.97±0.294 and 2.92±0.27, respectively. There was no significant difference between the mean nutrition knowledge scores of male and female students. About 53.6% of students have moderate or high (45.9%) nutrition knowledge respectively. A high percentage of the students 42.0% could not identify the healthiest way to lose body weight while 17.2% chose all of above are healthy methods of losing body weight. In conclusion, obesity was found to be prevalent in high school adolescents. There was no significant differences in the responses for the risk factors such as physical activity, dietary intake, food habits and sedentary behavior’s between male and female adolescent students in Libyan School here in Malaysia. About 45.9% have high nutrition knowledge. Future intervention may consider incorporating the elements in the scheme to increase its effectiveness in nutrition knowledge and health awareness.

Keyword : Adolescence, Obesity, Risk factors, Libyan Students, Malaysia