Association between the frequency of television watching and overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in Nepal: Analysis of data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly among women, is increasing in Nepal. Previous studies in the South Asia have found television watching to be a risk factor for overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age. However, this association had not been studied in the context of Nepal. This study aims to identify the association between frequency of television watching and overweight and obesity among Nepalese women of reproductive age. MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016 (NDHS 2016) data. A total weighted sample of 6,031 women were included in the final analyses. The women were 15-49 years of age and were either not pregnant or had not delivered a child within the two months prior to the survey. Body mass index (BMI) was the primary outcome of this study, which was categorized using an Asia-specific cutoff value. Normal and/ or underweight was defined as a BMI <23.0 kg/m 2 , overweight was defined as a BMI between 23.0 kg/m 2 and <27.5 kg/m 2 , and obesity was defined as a BMI �27.5 kg/m 2 . Frequency of watching television was the main independent variable of this study, which was divided into the following three categories: not watching television at all, watching television PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.

Trends in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity and Associated Socioeconomic and Household Environmental Factors among Women in Nepal: Findings from the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys

“…Similarly, the association between watching television for at least once a week and overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age residing in urban areas of Nepal has been previously reported [21]. Watching television predisposes an individual towards a sedentary lifestyle, while the advertisements for obesogenic foods further promote the purchase and consumption of these energy-dense foods [21,83]. With advertisements for junk foods accounting for 25% of the advertisements in Nepalese and Indian television, it is essential for public health promotions programs to target Nepalese women, through the platform of television itself, to discourage consumption of these unhealthy foods and raise awareness about the adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle attributed to watching television [21].…”

“…Modification of the increasingly obesogenic environment in Nepal is increasingly important, which can be achieved to some extent by discouraging sedentary lifestyles and actively promoting active transport through an integrated network of bicycle lanes and footpaths [51]. Similarly, the association between watching television for at least once a week and overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age residing in urban areas of Nepal has been previously reported [21]. Watching television predisposes an individual towards a sedentary lifestyle, while the advertisements for obesogenic foods further promote the purchase and consumption of these energy-dense foods [21,83].…”

“…In light of these findings, identifying the underlying causes of overweight and obesity among women in Nepal is pivotal to developing strategies to reduce the prevalence rates as well as the health burden due to the associated NCDs. Using the NDHS 2016 data, a few previous studies [20][21][22][23] have explored the factors associated with overweight and obesity among adults in Nepal. However, only one study [21] focused on Nepalese women while exploring the association between frequency of television watching and overweight and obesity; whereas only one study [20], which was focused on Nepalese adults, used the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off of BMI [24].…”

“…Using the NDHS 2016 data, a few previous studies [20][21][22][23] have explored the factors associated with overweight and obesity among adults in Nepal. However, only one study [21] focused on Nepalese women while exploring the association between frequency of television watching and overweight and obesity; whereas only one study [20], which was focused on Nepalese adults, used the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off of BMI [24]. No studies have explored the trends in its prevalence among women across the NDHS survey years, and most prior studies have explored limited potential socio-demographic factors associated with overweight and obesity.…”

Determinants of the Age of Motherhood for Women in Nepal and Analysis of Data from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016: Implications for Policies and Programmes

“…Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) are nationally representative household surveys that provide data for a wide range of monitoring and impact evaluation indicators in the areas of population, health and nutrition (The DHS Program, n.d.). NDHS 2016 modified and adopted a standard woman's questionnaire used by the DHS Program to collect socio-demographic information (e.g., age, marital status, household's wealth status, number of household members, place, province and ecological region of residence) according to the local context of Nepal (Das Gupta et al, 2020). The study was implemented in Nepal by NEW ERA-a non-profit, non-governmental research organisationbetween June 2016 and January 2017 (Das Gupta et al, 2020).…”