Assessment Of Body Weight, Weight Perception, And Weight Reduction Approaches Among Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64252/r6neaj23Keywords:
Body mass index, body weight perception, weight reduction approaches, and adolescents.Abstract
Background of the study: The adolescence stage is a critical stage of physical development. Body weight and body image concerns mainly influence self-esteem, emotional health and eating behavior.
Aim: This study examines the body weight, weight perception, and weight reduction approaches among adolescents of both genders at Pediatric OPD, at a selected Hospital in Chengalpattu District.
Objectives: 1. To assess the actual body weight of the adolescents. 2. To assess the weight perception among adolescents. 3. To assess the weight control approach among adolescents. 4. To find out the correlation between weight perception and weight control approach among adolescents. 5. To find out the association between adolescents' body weight and weight control approach with their selected demographic variables.
Materials: A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design was adopted.
Results: The major findings show that the mean BMI was 19.806 5.178. Findings on nutritional status shows that 45.27% of the participants were undernourished, 39.74% were normally nourished and 14.99% were overnourished. Adolescent's weight perception shows that 53.85% of them perceived themselves as being overweight. Adolescents weight reduction approach finding shows that only 50% of them followed good weight reduction practices. The correlation between weight perception and the weight reduction approach was r=0.61, which shows when overweight perception increases weight reduction practices also increase. The results show that the adolescent's nutritional status was associated with previous knowledge of weight (p-0.0025), gender (p-0.034) and type of family (p-0.034) associated with the weight reduction approach of the adolescents.
Conclusion: The findings suggest the need to provide the right information on nutritional assessment and optimal weight maintenance to adolescents to prevent under nutrition, & obesity and its associated comorbidities in their later life.
