The aspects linked to obesity in teenagers’ population in Tirana, Albania

Abstract

Surveillance records have shown a high prevalence of overweight and obesity not merely in developed states but also in developing ones. Our aim was to define the risk of being overweight and obese among teenagers in different districts of Albania. It is a cross-sectional study performed on a countrywide representative sample of the teenage population in Albania aged 13-20 years from a stratified register based on a population registration. The study protocol considered the invitation to accomplish a standard questionnaire that enclosed demographic and socio-economic data and health comportments. The prevalence of overweight in females was 2.2% (24/1078), while in males, it was 7.3% (51/702). We observed that most overweight males compared to females were p<0.02. We noted a weak positive association but statistically significant among BMI and age of the participants in the study. Recognizing paths is indispensable for proposing programs in teenagers’ health promotion and progressive health. In our view, the low levels of overweight and obesity and the enormous percentage of average weight in the youngster population were devoted to promoting healthy lifestyles among teenagers. Another thrilling outcome of our study was that 22% of the respondents, typically girls, revealed underweight issues. It is a serious matter. As a result, we should apply policies to challenge this issue in Albania shortly.