Christopher Pell
Coming of age, becoming obese: A cross-sectional analysis of obesity among adolescents and young adults in Malaysia
Pell, Christopher; Allotey, Pascale; Evans, Natalie; Hardon, Anita; Imelda, Johanna D.; Soyiri, Ireneous; Reidpath, Daniel D.; The SEACO Team
Authors
Pascale Allotey
Natalie Evans
Anita Hardon
Johanna D. Imelda
Dr Ireneous Soyiri I.N.Soyiri@hull.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology
Daniel D. Reidpath
The SEACO Team
Abstract
© 2016 The Author(s). Background: Malaysians have become increasingly obese over recent years. The transition from adolescence to early adulthood is recognized as critical for the development of eating and activity habits. However, little obesity-related research focuses on this life stage. Drawing on data from a health and demographic surveillance site in Malaysia, this article describes obesity and overweight amongst adolescents and young adults in a multi-ethnic population. Methods: Data were collected at the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) in Segamat District, Johor. In this dynamic cohort of approximately 40,000 people, 5,475 were aged 16-35 in 2013-2014. The population consists of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indigenous (Orang Asli) families in proportions that reflect the national ethnic diversity. Data were collected through health profiles (Body Mass Index [BMI] measurements in homes) and self-report questionnaires. Results: Age and ethnicity were associated with overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9Kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30Kg/m2). The prevalence of overweight was 12.8 % at ages 16-20 and 28.4 % at ages 31-35; obesity was 7.9 % and 20.9 % at the same age groups. The main ethnic groups also showed varied patterns of obesity and overweight at the different age groups with Chinese at lowest and Orang Asli at highest risk. Level of education, employment status, physical activity and frequency of eating out were poorly predictive of overweight and obesity. Conclusion: The pattern of overweight and obesity in the 16-35 age group further highlights this as a significant period for changes in health-related behaviours. Further longitudinal research is however needed to confirm the observed pattern and investigate causal factors.
Citation
Pell, C., Allotey, P., Evans, N., Hardon, A., Imelda, J. D., Soyiri, I., Reidpath, D. D., & The SEACO Team. (2016). Coming of age, becoming obese: A cross-sectional analysis of obesity among adolescents and young adults in Malaysia. BMC public health, 16(1), Article 1082. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3746-x
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Oct 5, 2016 |
Online Publication Date | Oct 13, 2016 |
Publication Date | Oct 13, 2016 |
Deposit Date | May 15, 2019 |
Publicly Available Date | May 16, 2019 |
Journal | BMC Public Health |
Print ISSN | 1471-2458 |
Electronic ISSN | 1471-2458 |
Publisher | Springer Verlag |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 16 |
Issue | 1 |
Article Number | 1082 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3746-x |
Keywords | Obesity; Malaysia; Overweight; Adolescents; Physical activity |
Public URL | https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1740753 |
Publisher URL | https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-3746-x |
Contract Date | May 16, 2019 |
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Copyright Statement
© The Author(s). 2016
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