| Chukwuma Onyebukwau (onyevic2000@yahoo.com) |
| Family Medicine, Stellenbosch |
| December, 2010 |
Abstract |
| Background: Obesity is one of the of the most pressing public health problems. Its prevalence has reached an epidemic proportion (>15%) in many countries. Obesity mainly results from a discrepancy between energy consumption and expenditure due to a complex interplay of behavioral and genetic factors. Studies have shown a growing prevalence even amongst healthcare workers. In South Africa, there seem to be a dearth of information in this area, thus the motivation for this study. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst 430 healthcare workers in Mafikeng Provincial Hospital. For each participant, weight was measured using a weight scale and height with a ruler. The Body Mass Index was the calculated using weight in kilogram divided by height in meter square. This was recorded in a questionnaire which was also used to obtain information on the knowledge, attitude and perception of the participants about overweight and obesity. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be 29.7% and 41.0% respectively. Also this study showed a significant association between overweight and obesity prevalence and the following risk factors: lack of or inadequate exercise (P |
| ISSN: 2071-2928 (print) | ISSN: 2071-2930 (online) | Follow us on:   |
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