Overweight And Obesity, Link With Sedentary Indicators

Abstract

The question of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior is a major public health issue. According to the World Health Organization, a sedentary lifestyle makes two million people dead each year in the world. There is a strong link between obesity and sedentary life, and the long-term consequences are particularly worrying for the child. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of obesity and describe its association with indicators of sedentary lifestyle among high school students in central Algiers. It is a descriptive cross-sectional study on 2355 students of both sexes. Body mass index and waist circumference information was collected by anthropometric measures, while lifestyle by a self-administered questionnaire. The results reveal: 24.5% overweight (obesity included) and 20.8% abdominal obesity more present in boys (p <0.01). An association between obesity-time spent in front of the television and weight gain-sleep duration was noted. These results challenge educators to invest in school sports.