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Physical activity and sedentary behaviors associated with overweight and obesity among primary school children in Tanzania: a case-control study

Renatha Pacific (Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutrition Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania)
Kissa Kulwa (Department of Food Technology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania)
Haikael D. Martin (School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutrition Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania)
Pammla Petrucka (College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 19 November 2021

Issue publication date: 28 June 2022

271

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims at determining the risk of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors on overweight and obesity among primary school children aged 10–13 years in Tanzania.

Design/methodology/approach

A case-control study was conducted from January to March 2020 involving 69 overweight/obese children as cases and 138 normal weight children as controls. Cases were identified as having body mass index-for-age ≥ +1 standard deviation (SD) and controls as those having BMI-for-age range between −2 SD to <+1 SD. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection on daily physical activities and sedentary behavior types, frequency duration and activity score. An independent sample t-test was used to compare means of activity score between cases and controls. Binary logistic regression was used to predict risk factors for overweight/obesity.

Findings

Risk factors for overweight/obesity were listening to music and/or radio for >2 h/week (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2–6.1) and walking for exercise <2 h/week (OR 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–4.1). On the other hand, rope skipping for >2 h/week (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03–0.7) was a protective factor against overweight/obesity. Controls had a significantly higher mean score of being active during lunch breaks compared to cases (p = 0.012). Cases had higher weight, height and percentage body fat than controls (p < 0.001). The home environment provided more avenues for physical activity than the school environment.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is original research work and the first case-control study to predict physical activity and sedentary behaviors as risk factors for overweight and obesity in Tanzanian school children.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like thank the Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability in Food and Nutrition Security (CREATES) for funding data collection of this study. The authors acknowledge the education authorities of Ilala and Mkuranga districts for granting permission to undertake the study in selected schools. We also thank teachers and school children who voluntarily participated in the study.

Citation

Pacific, R., Kulwa, K., Martin, H.D. and Petrucka, P. (2022), "Physical activity and sedentary behaviors associated with overweight and obesity among primary school children in Tanzania: a case-control study", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 52 No. 5, pp. 765-777. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-09-2021-0273

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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