Fifteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

This study evaluates the current prevalence rates of overweight and obesity and their association with physical education activities, morning exercise, and classroom exercises in schools among Pakistani school-aged children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling approach with 4200 Pakistani schoolchildren aged 9 to 17 years from 62 schools across seven districts in central Punjab province. Body mass index (BMI) percentiles were calculated using CDC US 2000 standards, and statistical analyses included the Chi-square test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The findings reveal a significant percentage of schools do not incorporate these activities into their weekly routines. This underscores the need to address various school-level factors, such as school leader behavior, access to sports facilities, school playground satisfaction, availability of physical education teachers, effective fund utilization, provision of sports equipment, and opening of school grounds on weekends, to foster a healthier environment and potentially reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity among students. The study sheds light on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Pakistani school-aged children and adolescents and its association with socio-ecological factors. Understanding these risk factors is crucial for developing effective policies and interventions to combat childhood obesity in Pakistan. The findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted intervention strategies and public health initiatives to address this growing health concern.