Liu H, Fu P, Zhang M, Zhou C. Coexistence of obesity and hunger in young adolescents: Evidence from the Global School-based Student Health Survey.
Pediatr Obes 2022;
17:e12952. [PMID:
35747991 DOI:
10.1111/ijpo.12952]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Hunger and obesity among young adolescents are serious public health issues; however, the relationship between these issues in this demographic has yet to be examined.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether both obesity and hunger coexist in young adolescents from a global perspective.
METHODS
We analysed data of 142 565 adolescents (age, 12-15 years) from 60 countries from the Global School-based Student Health Survey.
RESULTS
Total prevalence of moderate and severe hunger was 22.32% and 7.8%, respectively-with the highest in Africa (29.14% and 12.14%, respectively) and the lowest in the Americas (16.83% and 5.31%, respectively). The prevalence of obesity among adolescents with severe hunger was 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-1.38) times the prevalence among those without hunger; however, this association varied across countries or regions. Moreover, the prevalence of obesity was 17% (95% CI: 1.04-1.29) higher in adolescent girls with moderate hunger in high-income countries, 91% (95% CI: 1.23-2.58) higher in adolescents with severe hunger in low-income countries and 54% (95% CI: 1.34-1.76) higher in lower middle-income countries compared to those without hunger.
CONCLUSIONS
Both obesity and hunger coexist in adolescent populations worldwide. Our findings emphasize the need for double-duty actions to simultaneously address burdens of hunger and obesity among adolescents.
Collapse