Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Stunting and weight statuses of adolescents differ between public and private schools in urban Gambia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

This study assessed the disparity in nutritional status of adolescents between public and private schools in urban Gambia.

Methods

This is a school-based cross-sectional study in six private and six public upper basic schools in urban Gambia. This study recruited 491 students from public and 469 students from private schools (13–15 years of age).

Results

The prevalence of stunting (WHO height-for-age Z < −2SD) was 13.4 % for public school students and 4.5 % for private schools. After adjustment for children’s sex, age, and family socioeconomic status, the differences in prevalence of stunting and underweight were significant between public and private schools. Private school students are more likely to be overweight/obese (WHO BMI-for-age Z > +1SD) (OR = 2.85, 95 % CI 1.55–5.22), but less likely to be thin (BMI-for-age Z < −2SD) (OR = 0.61 [0.39–0.96]), compared to public school students. Children from lower income families had lower odds for overweight/obese than normal weight, compared to those from higher income families (OR = 0.34 [0.15–0.76]).

Conclusions

Public and private schools in urban regions of the Gambia may face different nutritional challenges due to differences in school environment and resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adekoya-Sofowora CA, Nasir WO, Oginni AO, Taiwo M (2006) Dental caries in 12-year-old suburban Nigerian school children. Afr Health Sci 6(3):145–150

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Alberga AS, Sigal RJ, Goldfield G, Prud’homme D, Kenny GP (2012) Overweight and obese teenagers: why is adolescence a critical period? Pediatr Obes 7(4):261–273

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belachew T, Lindstrom D, Hadley C, Gebremariam A, Kasahun W, Kolsteren P (2013) Food insecurity and linear growth of adolescents in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Nutr J 12:55

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bener A (2006) Prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight in Qatari adolescents. Food Nutr Bull 27(1):39–45

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cawley J, Liu F (2012) Maternal employment and childhood obesity: a search for mechanisms in time use data. Econ Hum Biol 10(4):352–364

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang FC, Lee CM, Chen PH, Chiu CH, Pan YC, Huang TF (2013) Association of thin-ideal media exposure, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents in Taiwan. Eat Behav 14(3):382–385

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra M, Galbraith S, Darnton-Hill I (2002) A global response to a global problem: the epidemic of over nutrition. Bull World Health Organ 80(12):952–958

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dabone C, Delisle HF, Receveur O (2011) Poor nutritional status of schoolchildren in urban and peri-urban areas of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Nutr J 10:34

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Delisle H, Agueh V, Fayomi B (2011) Partnership research on nutrition transition and chronic diseases in West Africa—trends, outcomes and impacts. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 11(Suppl 2):S10

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dong J et al (2014) Prevalence of overweight and obesity and their associations with blood pressure among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. BMC Public Health 14:1080

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ekpo UF, Odoemene SN, Mafiana CF, Sam-Wobo SO (2008) Helminthiasis and hygiene conditions of schools in Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2(1):e146

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Elbedour S, Onwuegbuzie AJ, Caridine C, Abu-Saad H (2002) The effect of polygamous marital structure on behavioral, emotional, and academic adjustment in children: a comprehensive review of the literature. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 5(4):255–271

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fiorentino M et al (2013) Anthropometric and micronutrient status of school-children in an urban West Africa setting: a cross-sectional study in Dakar (Senegal). PLoS One 8(12):e84328

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia S, Sarmiento OL, Forde I, Velasco T (2013) Socio-economic inequalities in malnutrition among children and adolescents in Colombia: the role of individual-, household- and community-level characteristics. Public Health Nutr 16(9):1703–1718

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guedes DP, Almeida FN, Neto JT, Maia Mde F, Tolentino TM (2013) Low body weight/thinness, overweight and obesity of children and adolescents from a Brazilian region of low economic status. Rev Paul Pediatr 31(4):437–443

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kimani-Murage EW, Kahn K, Pettifor JM, Tollman SM, Klipstein-Grobusch K, Norris SA (2011) Predictors of adolescent weight status and central obesity in rural South Africa. Public Health Nutr 14(6):1114–1122

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kotian MS, Kumar SG, Kotian SS (2010) Prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among adolescent school children of South Karnataka, India. Indian J Community Med 35(1):176–178

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lee G, Ha Y, Vann JJ, Choi E (2009) Weight perception and dieting behavior among Korean adolescents. J Sch Nurs 25(6):427–435

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maddah M, Mohtasham-Amiri Z, Rashidi A, Karandish M (2007) Height and weight of urban preschool children in relation to their mothers’ educational levels and employment status in Rasht City, northern Iran. Matern Child Nutr 3(1):52–57

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manyanga T, El-Sayed H, Doku DT, Randall JR (2014) The prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity and associated risk factors among school-going adolescents in seven African countries. BMC Public Health 14:887

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mindlin M, Jenkins R, Law C (2009) Maternal employment and indicators of child health: a systematic review in pre-school children in OECD countries. J Epidemiol Community Health 63(5):340–350

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadpour-Ahranjani B, Rashidi A, Karandish M, Eshraghian MR, Kalantari N (2004) Prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescent Tehrani students, 2000–2001: an epidemic health problem. Public Health Nutr 7(5):645–648

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muhihi AJ et al (2013) Prevalence and determinants of obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Arch Public Health 71(1):26

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Muthuri SK et al (2014) Temporal trends and correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and physical fitness among school-aged children in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 11(3):3327–3359

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Navti LK, Ferrari U, Tange E, Bechtold-Dalla Pozza S, Parhofer KG (2014) Contribution of socioeconomic status, stature and birth weight to obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa: cross-sectional data from primary school-age children in Cameroon. BMC Public Health 14(1):320

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ntoimo LF, Odimegwu CO (2014) Health effects of single motherhood on children in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 14:1145

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Omigbodun OO, Adediran KI, Akinyemi JO, Omigbodun AO, Adedokun BO, Esan O (2010) Gender and rural-urban differences in the nutritional status of in-school adolescents in south-western Nigeria. J Biosoc Sci 42(5):653–676

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Popkin BM (2001) Nutrition in transition: the changing global nutrition challenge. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 10(Suppl):S13–S18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prentice A, Schoenmakers I, Laskey MA, de Bono S, Ginty F, Goldberg GR (2006) Nutrition and bone growth and development. Proc Nutr Soc 65(4):348–360

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rutstein SKJ (2004) The DHS wealth index. No. 6. ORC Macro, Calverton

    Google Scholar 

  • Siervo M, Grey P, Nyan OA, Prentice AM (2006a) A pilot study on body image, attractiveness and body size in Gambians living in an urban community. Eat Weight Disord 11(2):100–109

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siervo M, Grey P, Nyan OA, Prentice AM (2006b) Urbanization and obesity in The Gambia: a country in the early stages of the demographic transition. Eur J Clin Nutr 60(4):455–463

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sommer M (2011) An overlooked priority: puberty in sub-Saharan Africa. Am J Public Health 101(6):979–981

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Tang HK, Dibley MJ, Sibbritt D, Tran HM (2007) Gender and socio-economic differences in BMI of secondary high school students in Ho Chi Minh city. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 16(1):74–83

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Teague J, Johnston EA, Graham JP (2014) Water, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition: successes, challenges, and implications for integration. Int J Public Health 59(6):913–921

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomkins AM, Dunn DT, Hayes RJ, Bradley AK (1986) Seasonal variations in the nutritional status of urban Gambian children. Br J Nutr 56(3):533–543

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Chen H-J (2012) Use of percentiles and z-scores in anthropometry. In: Preedy V (ed) Handbook of Anthropometry: Physical Measures of Human Form in Health and Disease. Springer, New York, pp 29–48

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Chen H-J, Shaikh S, Mathur P (2009) Is obesity becoming a public health problem in India? Examine the shift from under- to overnutrition problems over time. Obes Rev 10(4):456–474

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2006) Adolescent nutrition: a review of the situation in selected South-East Asian Countries. In: Available via WHO. http://www.searo.who.int/entity/child_adolescent/documents/sea_nut_163/en/

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Yang-Ming University. The authors wish to extend their profound gratitude to the National Nutrition Agency of the Gambia for their collaboration and support. Special thanks to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the principals of the schools, parents, and of course the students who agreed to participate in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Health Program, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Alimatou Juwara, Nicole Huang, Li-Ying Chien & Hsin-Jen Chen

  2. Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Nicole Huang

  3. Institute of Clinical and Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Li-Ying Chien

  4. Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Medical Building II, R213, Beitou District, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC

    Hsin-Jen Chen

Authors
  1. Alimatou Juwara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nicole Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Li-Ying Chien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hsin-Jen Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hsin-Jen Chen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interests to disclose.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Juwara, A., Huang, N., Chien, LY. et al. Stunting and weight statuses of adolescents differ between public and private schools in urban Gambia. Int J Public Health 61, 717–726 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0836-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0836-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation