Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25838624›Full record

ArticleNigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association

Knowledge and attitudes towards obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Marina A Njelekela, Alfa Muhihi, Rose N M Mpembeni, Amani Anaeli, Omary Chillo, Sulende Kubhoja, Benjamin Lujani, Davis Ngarashi, Mwanamkuu Maghembe

Open access · diamondAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

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    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Marina A NjelekelaExecutive Director, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania ; Department of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Alfa MuhihiClinical Trial Unit, Africa Academy for Public Health, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania ; Interventions Thematic Group, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Rose N M MpembeniDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Amani AnaeliDepartment of Developmental Studies, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Omary ChilloDepartment of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sulende KubhojaDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Benjamin LujaniDepartment of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Davis NgarashiDepartment of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mwanamkuu MaghembeDepartment of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences · TZIfakara Health Institute · TZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildhood obesity has increased over the past two decades. Child obesity is likely to persist through adulthood and increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes towards obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. MATERIALS AND

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected primary schools in Dar es Salaam. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitudes. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were taken using standard procedures.

resultsA total of 446 children were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 11.1 ± 2.0 years. The mean body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 16.6 ± 4.0 kg/m(2), 103.9 ± 10.3 mmHg and 65.6 ± 8.2 mmHg, respectively. Prevalence of obesity (defined as BMI >95(th) percentile for age and sex) was 5.2%. Half of the children (51.1%) had heard about obesity from teachers at school (20%), radio (19.4%) and books/newspaper (17.3%). Less than half (45.4%) had knowledge about the risk factors for childhood obesity and correctly defined obesity (44.6%). However, a good number of the children (72.1%) were aware that they can be affected by obesity. Majority of them had negative attitude towards obesity and various factors leading to or resulting from childhood obesity.

conclusionsKnowledge about childhood obesity among primary school children is moderate and have negative attitude towards obesity. Integrating educational programs early in primary schools may be an effective strategy to impact knowledge about obesity and other non-communicable diseases early in childhood.

Indexed as

Attitudesknowledgeobesityprimary school childrenTanzania

Identifiers

PMID25838624
PMCPMC4382598
OpenAlexW2043808604

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.