Factors Predicting Overnutrition among School-aged Children in Health Service Network of Regional Health Promotion Center 11, Nakhon Si Thammarat

Abstract

The objectives of this survey research were to study factors affecting overnutrition, to predict the overnutrition status and to make recommendations on reducing overnutrition among school-aged children in health service network of Regional Health Promotion Center 11, Nakhon Si Thammarat. The study used questionnaires with interviews to collect data from 268 primary school students in grades 4-6. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one way analysis of variance and stepwise multiple regression.

The results showed that factors significantly affected overnutrition of school-aged children included number of family members, parent's occupations, congenital disease, food consumption behavior at p=0.05. The samples’ height and communication channel where the samples can learn about health care/health behavior related to overnutrition differed significantly at p=0.01. The variables could predict overnutrition of school-aged children at 88.2 percent. The prediction equation was as follows: Y = 22.012 + (0.479) X₂ + (-0.230) X₃ + (1.924) X₉ + (-1.564) X₁₁ + (-0.023) X₁₅ + (-0.492) X_19. Policy recommendations were also developed including policy formulation, work plans/projects, surveillance system, monitoring, evaluation results, developing knowledge and skills, building an operational team, developing programs and communication and information system through online platform. Action plan recommendations included developing schools in the areas into health promoting schools, dissemination of knowledge, providing environments conducive to nutritional status, providing training for teachers and student leaders, and monitoring and evaluation online system.