Abstract:
Adolescents constitute a huge proportion of the world’s population. Adolescent
obesity has globally increased to significant levels with serious public health
consequences. The epidemic of obesity has major complications for health care now
and in the future. Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic medical
conditions. As the obese adolescent grows into an obese adult, the morbidity and
mortality associated with obesity occur with an increased risk. This was a cross-sectional
school-based study conducted in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria. The
secondary schools were selected via simple random sampling and the participants
were recruited using systematic sampling method. An interviewer-administered
questionnaire was used to collect the participants’ demographics and their height,
weight, and blood pressure were measured. Furthermore, their blood samples were
taken for blood glucose and lipid profile estimation. Data analysis was done using
SPSS version 21 and a p-value of <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. A
total of 150 adolescents participated in the study. The prevalence of obesity was
14.0% and overweight was 21.3%. Only 1.3% of the participants had diastolic
hypertension, 12% had hyperglycemia and 8.7% had hyperlipidemia. There was a
statistically significant association between obesity and hyperlipidemia (x2 = 9.23, p =
0.03). Adolescent obesity poses a greater risk for the development of some major
chronic disorders. Prompt management of obesity in adolescence is key to curtailing
the menace of obesity for the present and future health of the populace.
