Impact of over weight on quality of life among preparatory school children

Abstract EN

The study aims to assess the impact of over weight on quality of life in preparatory school children.

A survey study was conducted in El-Nahda and Eaasmat Afefy Preparatory schools in Assiut City during academic year2005 \ 2006.

The systematic random sample was used for this study on every fourth class.

The total sample was 440 students' girls.

Every class contains about 55 girls.

Three tools were designed specifically to collect data; first tool: Questionnaire sheet to assess demographic data; second tool: to assess weight and height of students and BMI and third tools : Quality Of Life (QOL) questionnaire sheet.

The original scale was constructed by Lehman (1986) to assess (QOL) of students.

Study showed that mean age of studied students was 13 years mean weight was 51.6 Kg, and mean height was 154 cm.

The majority of students were normal weight 72.3 % but 16.8 % of students were at risk for overweight, only 3.6 % of them were overweight and 2.5 % obese, 4.8 % of sample were under weight.

Statistically significant differences were observed between the three categories of overweight in levels of QOL ; while the majority of students had low Quality Of Life (83.8 %) compared to only 16.2 % moderate level (QOL) and no high (QOL) in the three categories.

The school is an ideal setting for promotion of new health behaviors school health nurse and specialists in pediatric nursing should work in collaboration with teachers and other educator in the community to achieve positive outcome related to childhood overweight and obese.