title: Body mass index of 16-year olds in urban Maseru, Lesotho.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Overweight and/or obesity amongst children and adolescents is a global epidemic with health consequences that track into adulthood. No data are currently available regarding overweight/obesity amongst adolescents in Lesotho.Aim and setting: To assess the prevalence of overweight and/or obesity and the associated risk factors amongst 16-year olds in urban Maseru, Lesotho.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a systematic sample of 16-year olds ingrade four (N = 221; 56.6% girls) from randomly-selected schools in urban Maseru. Diet histories and data on lifestyle, physical activity and knowledge, attitudes and/or perceptions and practices regarding nutrition were obtained during structured interviews and body mass index (BMI) was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst these 16-year olds, 27.2% girls and 8.3% boys were overweight and/or obese based on World Health Organization cut-offs for BMI; 39.8% were insufficiently active or inactive;6.4% used alcohol regularly; and 11.7% used tobacco. Whilst 28.1% reported no television watching/electronic gaming/computer usage (combined screen time) outside school, 23.6% reported ≥ 4 hours of combined screen time outside school. Most (91.4%) consumed < 3 servings of vegetables/day; 86.4% consumed < 2 servings of fruits/day; and 95.5% consumed < 2 servings of dairy/day. The majority consumed maize porridge (56.1%), bread (63.8%) and margarine/oil/fat (82.3%) daily and added sugar to their food (74.2%). Fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, pulses and traditional foods were only consumed weekly or less often. Most bought from tuck shops (18.6% daily; 54.3% weekly). Various gaps in knowledge, perceptions and practices were identified that may benefit from educational intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study identifies westernised dietary and lifestyle changes, along with overweight and/or obesity, amongst 16-year old adolescents in Lesotho.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of the Free State. vdbergvl@ufs.ac.za.
authors.forename: Violet L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Lisemelo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seheri
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raubenheimer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007927:Lesotho / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data