Prevalence of overweight and obesity among African primary school learners: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Adom, Theodosia; Kengne, André Pascal; Villiers, Anniza de; Puoane, Thandi

doi:10.1002/osp4.355

Cited by 17 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 73 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…e overall prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in Ghana was 8.6% and 10.7%, respectively. is is comparable to the prevalence values reported by other regional studies in Africa [56]. ese prevalence values are however higher compared to the expected value for developing countries and the world at large.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Reports on the gender difference in childhood obesity or overweight prevalence are inconsistent; some studies report higher prevalence in males [64,65], others report higher prevalence in females [66]while some report no gender difference in childhood obesity or overweight prevalence [67]. In a similar study involving a meta-analysis of obesity and overweight among school-going children in Africa, no gender difference in obesity or overweight prevalence was reported [56]. While there is no coherent gender-related pattern in childhood obesity and overweight, a consistent gender-related pattern is observed in obesity and overweight among adults, where the prevalence is frequently higher in females compared to males [1,[67][68][69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Childhood Obesity and Overweight in Ghana: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Akowuah

Kobia‐Acquah

2020

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism

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e increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight is considered a public health issue in both developed and developing countries. is systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in Ghana. A multiple database search was conducted for articles published between January 1, 2001, and October 31, 2019, reporting the prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in Ghana. Databases searched include PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, World Health Organization (WHO) Library Information System, and Africa Journals Online. Data were pooled from the articles to calculate an overall estimate of childhood obesity and overweight using a random-effects model after variance stabilization with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. is review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Sixteen studies with a combined sample size of 29,160 were included in the review. Analysis indicates that approximately 19% of children in Ghana either have obesity or are overweight. e prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight was 8.6% (95% CI: 4.8%-13.4%) and 10.7% (95% CI: 5.9%-16.6%), respectively. Although not significant, higher obesity (4.6% vs. 2.6%) and overweight (11.0% vs. 7.2%) prevalence were estimated for females than for males. ere was a significantly higher obesity prevalence estimate (17.4% vs. 8.9%) in rural settings than in urban settings (p � 0.0255). e high prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight estimated in this review is of worrying concern. It is a significant public health problem that has implications on the health of present and future generations in Ghana and as such calls for proactive measures to be put in place. Also, the driving forces behind the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity in Ghana need to be investigated.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood Obesity and Overweight in Ghana: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Akowuah

Kobia‐Acquah

2020

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism

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“…In 2016, nearly 41 million children under 5 years were overweight or obese worldwide-of which, 49% and 24% lived in Asia and Africa [2]. Further, we recently estimated 9.4% overweight and 5.0% obesity prevalence among African school children [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School-Based Interventions Targeting Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Body Weight Status of African Children: A Systematic Review

et al. 2019

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Background: Overweight/obesity is an emerging health concern among African children. The aim of this study was to summarise available evidence from school-based interventions that focused on improving nutrition and physical activity knowledge, attitude, and behaviours, and weight status of children aged 6-15 years in the African context. Methods: Multiple databases were searched for studies evaluating school-based interventions of African origin that involved diet alone, physical activity alone, or multicomponent interventions, for at least 12 weeks in duration, reporting changes in either diet, physical activity, or body composition, and published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2018. No language restrictions were applied. Relevant data from eligible studies were extracted. Narrative synthesis was used to analyse and describe the data. Results: This systematic review included nine interventions comprising 10 studies. Studies were conducted among 9957 children and adolescents in two African countries, namely South Africa and Tunisia, and were generally of low methodological quality. The sample size at baseline ranged from 28 to 4003 participants. Two interventions reported enrolling children from both urban and rural areas. The majority of the study participants were elementary or primary school children and adolescents in grades 4 to 6. Participants were between the ages of 12.4 and 13.5 years. All but one intervention targeted children of both sexes. Four studies were described as randomised control trials, while five were pre-and post-test quasi-experiments. Except for one study that involved the community as a secondary setting, all were primarily school-based studies. The duration of the interventions ranged from four months to three years. The interventions focused largely on weight-related behaviours, while a few targeted weight status. The results of the effectiveness of these interventions were inconsistent: three of five studies that evaluated weight status (body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, overweight/obesity prevalence), three of six studies that reported physical activity outcomes (number of sports activities, and physical activity duration ≥ 30 min for at least six days/week), and four of six reporting on nutrition-related outcomes (number meeting fruit and vegetable intake ≥ 5 times/day) found beneficial effects of the interventions. Conclusion: Given the dearth of studies and the inconsistent results, definite conclusions about the overall effectiveness and evidence could not be made. Nonetheless, this study has identified research gaps in the childhood obesity literature in Africa and strengthened the need for further studies, the findings of which would contribute valuable data and inform policy.

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“…In this review, the magnitude of obesity was measured based on three international standards, i.e., World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) cutoff points. Based on the criteria mentioned above, the prevalence of obesity was 6.1% (WHO criteria), 4.0% (IOTF criteria), and 6.9% (CDC criteria) [9]. Generally, the prevalence of obesity in Africa among schoolchildren lies between 4.4% and 21.2 percent [9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the criteria mentioned above, the prevalence of obesity was 6.1% (WHO criteria), 4.0% (IOTF criteria), and 6.9% (CDC criteria) [9]. Generally, the prevalence of obesity in Africa among schoolchildren lies between 4.4% and 21.2 percent [9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology, Predisposing Factors, Biomarkers, and Prevention Mechanism of Obesity: A Systematic Review

2020

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Background. Globally, obesity is becoming a public health problem in the general population. Various determinants were reported by different scholars even though there are inconsistencies. Different biomarkers of obesity were identified for the prediction of obesity. Even though researchers speculate the factors, biomarkers, consequences, and prevention mechanisms, there is a lack of aggregate and purified data in the area of obesity. Summary. In this review, the epidemiology, predisposing factors, biomarkers, consequences, and prevention approaches of obesity were reviewed. Key Messages. The epidemiology of obesity increased in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Even if the factors vary across regions and socioeconomic levels, sociodemographic, behavioral, and genetic factors were prominent for the development of obesity. There are a lot of biomarkers for obesity, of which microRNA, adipocytes, oxidative stress, blood cell profile, nutrients, and microbiota were promising biomarkers for determination of occurrence of obesity. Since the consequences of obesity are vast and interrelated, multidimensional prevention strategy is mandatory in all nations.

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Prevalence of overweight and obesity among African primary school learners: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Cited by 17 publications

References 73 publications

Childhood Obesity and Overweight in Ghana: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Childhood Obesity and Overweight in Ghana: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

School-Based Interventions Targeting Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Body Weight Status of African Children: A Systematic Review

Epidemiology, Predisposing Factors, Biomarkers, and Prevention Mechanism of Obesity: A Systematic Review

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