Association between individual and environmental factors with body mass index for age z-score in female adolescents living in North-West of Iran
ISSN: 0034-6659
Article publication date: 21 October 2021
Issue publication date: 28 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of individual and environmental indicators with body mass-index-for-age-z-score (BAZ) of female adolescents living in the North-West of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
In this cross-sectional study, 380 female adolescents aged 16-18 years were selected from two major ethnic groups (Azeri and Kurd) in Urmia city selected by stratified cluster sampling method. In total, 13 high schools (9 public and 4 private) were selected across all municipality zones of Urmia city. BAZ was calculated by Anthro-Plus software. Demographic and socioeconomic information of samples were collected by a questionnaire through interviews. Home environment features (including physical activity facilities, television, computer games and social media use, food consumption habits and family rules) and school environment features (including socioeconomic status [SES], physical activity facilities, food consumption habits) were evaluated by two separate self-constructed questionnaires via an interview with adolescents and schools’ deans, respectively.
Findings
Azeri adolescents had parents with higher education and job level and higher SES compared to Kurds (p = 0.000). A higher percent of Azeri adolescents were obese than their Kurd counterparts (p = 0.006). No association was found between individual factors and BAZ in each ethnic group. Considering home environment characteristics, in Kurd adolescents, the maternal occupational level was positively associated with BAZ (p = 0.02). With regard to school environmental features, accessibility of physical activity facilities in school was inversely associated with BAZ only in Kurds (p = 0.005).
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate various environmental factors in association with adolescent’s overweight/obesity prevalence in different ethnical groups in northwest Iran.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank all participants and their parents and schools’ personnel who collaborated in this study. This work was supported by the Medical Research Council of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (grant number 16237).
Citation
Seyyedin, B., Omidvar, N., Bakhshi, B., Zayeri, F. and Rezazadeh, A. (2022), "Association between individual and environmental factors with body mass index for age z-score in female adolescents living in North-West of Iran", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 52 No. 4, pp. 595-615. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-06-2021-0185
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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