Overweight, obesity, weight-related behaviors, and health-related quality of life among high-school students in Turkey.

purposeThe purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and associated socio-demographic and lifestyle behaviors among a sample of high-school students in Turkey. This study also examined the effect of overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life in students.

methodsA cross-sectional survey of 1216 adolescents aged 14-18 years old was conducted from 2018 to 2019 in Turkey, using questionnaire forms and anthropometric measurements. Classification of BMI was based on the WHO reference weight categories. Factors linked to adolescent obesity were identified using the binary logistic regression model and the degree of association was revealed by determining the odds ratio, at a confidence interval (CI) of 95%.

resultsThe prevalence of overweight was 26.1%, while that of obese students was 12.8%. Factors associated with being obese included being in the 14-15 age group, being male, having dysfunctional family relationships, spending more than 3 h/day on screen time, and performing physical activity (≥ 60 min) two times or less per week. Obese adolescents reported significantly lower scores in physical and mental health.

conclusionsIn this study, more than one-third of the students were either overweight or obese. Obesity was associated with screen time, physical activity, and family relationship. Obesity in children had a negative impact on their quality of life. Therefore, increasing physical activity, lowering screen time, and having a healthy parent-adolescent relationship could contribute to reducing the prevalence of obesity in overweight/obese students. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive (cross-sectional) study.