Adolescents’ Perspectives on the Drivers of Obesity Using a Group Model Building Approach: A South African Perspective

Hendricks, Gaironeesa; Savona, Natalie; Aguiar, Anaely; Alaba, Olufunke A.; Booley, Sharmilah; Malczyk, Sonia; Nwosu, Emmanuel; Knai, Cécile; Rutter, Harry; Klepp, Knut‐Inge; Harbron, Janetta

doi:10.3390/ijerph19042160

Cited by 13 publications

(29 citation statements)

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“…There are suggestions that the risk of overweight and obesity in adolescent girls may be related to the onset of menstruation, its associated hormonal changes and psychological impact on physical activeness. In group sessions, adolescent girls shared their perceptions that teenage pregnancies and contraception use contributed to weight gain [ 25 ]. In contrast, adolescent boys at the same age, mark an increase in energy needs and physical activities leading to “burning of fats” and reduced energy storage [ 22 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among South African and European adolescents: a comparative outlook

et al. 2022

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Background South Africa has several national surveys with body weight-related data, but they are not conducted regularly. Hence, data on longitudinal trends and the recent prevalence of adolescent obesity are not readily available for both national and international reporting and use. This study collectively analysed nationally representative surveys over nearly 2 decades to investigate trends in prevalence of adolescent obesity in South Africa. Furthermore, it compared these data with similar continental report for 45 countries across Europe and North America including United Kingdom, Norway, Netherland, Sweden, Azerbaijan, etc. to identify at-risk sub-population for overweight and obesity among adolescents. Methods The study included primary data of adolescents (15 – 19 years) from South African national surveys (N = 27, 884; girls = 51.42%) conducted between 1998 and 2016. Adolescents’ data extracted include measured weight, height, sex, parent employment status, monthly allowance received, and family socioeconomic-related variables. Data were statistically analysed and visualized using chi-square of trends, Wald statistics, odds ratio and trend plots, and compared to findings from European survey report (N = 71, 942; girls = 51.23%). South African adolescents’ obesity and overweight data were categorized based on World Health Organization (WHO)’s growth chart and compared by sex to European cohort and by family socioeconomic status. Results By 2016, 21.56% of South African adolescents were either obese or overweight, similar to the 21% prevalence reported in 2018 among European adolescents. Girls in South Africa showed higher trends for obesity and overweight compared to boys, different from Europe where, higher trends were reported among boys. South African Adolescents from upper socioeconomic families showed greater trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity than adolescents from medium and lower socioeconomic families. Mothers’ employment status was significantly associated with adolescents' overweight and obesity. Conclusions Our study shows that by 2016, the prevalence of adolescent obesity was high in South Africa – more than 1 in 5 adolescents – which is nearly similar to that in Europe, yet South African girls may be at a greater odd for overweight and obesity in contrast to Europe, as well as adolescents from high earning families. South African local and contextual factors may be driving higher prevalence in specific sub-population. Our study also shows the need for frequent health-related data collection and tracking of adolescents’ health in South Africa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among South African and European adolescents: a comparative outlook

et al. 2022

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“…Finally, we tested two intervention points in the model that were identified as intervention entries after conducting sensitivity analyses, namely, perceived pressure on body image and psychosocial stress. These selected intervention points are consistent with the youth's input during the systems mapping sessions 20,21 . We then reported on the simulation results and further explanations of the observed changes over time.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the dynamics emerging from the interplay among poor mental wellbeing, energy balance‐related behaviors, and obesity prevalence in adolescents: A simulation‐based study

Aguiar,

Önal,

Hendricks

et al. 2023

Obesity Reviews

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SummaryBoth obesity and poor mental wellbeing have a high prevalence in European youth. Adolescents in six countries identified mental wellbeing factors as main drivers of youth obesity through systems mapping. This study sought to (1) explore the dynamics of the interplay between poor mental wellbeing, energy balance‐related behaviors, and adolescent overweight and obesity prevalence and (2) test the effect of intervention point scenarios to reduce adolescent obesity. Drawing on the youth‐generated systems maps and a literature synthesis, we built a simulation model that represents the links from major feedback pathways for poor mental wellbeing to changes in dietary, physical activity, and sleep behaviors. The model was calibrated using survey data from Norway, expert input, and literature and shows a good fit between simulated behavior and available statistical data. The simulations indicate that adolescent mental wellbeing is harmed by socio‐cultural pressures and stressors, which trigger reinforcing feedback mechanisms related to emotional/binge eating, lack of motivation to engage in physical activity, and sleep difficulty. Targeting a combination of intervention points that support a 25% reduction of pressure on body image and psychosocial stress showed potentially favorable effects on mental wellbeing—doubling on average for boys and girls and decreasing obesity prevalence by over 4%.

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“…The project also includes a South African partner, with additional fieldwork conducted there. This aspect of the work has been described elsewhere 13 and is thus not discussed in this paper.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overweight and obesity prevention for and with adolescents: The “Confronting obesity: Co‐creating policy with youth” (CO‐CREATE) project

et al. 2023

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The CO-CREATE project focuses on the need for research on obesity prevention in adolescents to move away from studies of single interventions, toward the investigation of systems-based research incorporating youth involvement. This paper provides an overview of the project, presenting the objectives, design, and novel methodologies applied, as well as findings to date and anticipated outcomes. Adolescents (16-18 years old) in five European countries participated. Methods applied in the project include monitoring and benchmarking of policies, systematic literature

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Adolescents’ Perspectives on the Drivers of Obesity Using a Group Model Building Approach: A South African Perspective

Cited by 13 publications

References 28 publications

Trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among South African and European adolescents: a comparative outlook

Trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among South African and European adolescents: a comparative outlook

Understanding the dynamics emerging from the interplay among poor mental wellbeing, energy balance‐related behaviors, and obesity prevalence in adolescents: A simulation‐based study

Overweight and obesity prevention for and with adolescents: The “Confronting obesity: Co‐creating policy with youth” (CO‐CREATE) project

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