title: Body weight status of school adolescents in Terengganu, Malaysia: a population baseline study.
abstract: Body weight is highly associated with overall health status. Being severely thin or obese may impose the risk of many health problems. Early detection of body mass index (BMI) status may help to reduce the associated comorbidities. Although many studies in the literature have investigated the BMI of school adolescents in Malaysia, the data on status of body weight among school adolescents in suburban states like Terengganu is limited. This study aimed to describe the body weight status of the whole population of school adolescents in all seven districts in Terengganu, Malaysia.
  
  
  
  Using a cross-sectional study design, body weight and height were measured, and BMI was calculated and classified using WHO BMI-for-age Z-score. Data was obtained using the National Fitness Standard (SEGAK) assessment, which was uploaded in a specific Health Monitoring System (HEMS).
  
  
  
  From a total of 62,567 school adolescents, 50.7% were boys and 49.3% were girls. Girls had significantly higher BMI than boys in age groups of 13 to 15 and 16 to 17 years old. Among boys and girls, there were significant differences in mean BMI of school adolescents between rural and urban school locations in all age groups (p < 0.001). There were also significant differences in BMI between boys and girls in all districts in Terengganu, except Kemaman and Kuala Terengganu, for all age groups (p < 0.001). Overall, the prevalence of thinness, normal, overweight and obesity were 8.4, 64.6, 15.0 and 12.0%, respectively. There were significant differences between BMI categories and genders in total participants, and within rural and urban school locations (p < 0.05). In all districts except Marang and Dungun, significant difference was also found between BMI categories and genders.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity in Terengganu were substantial. In this study, BMI category was associated with gender, age, school location and district. However, the actual effects of these factors on the prevalence of thinness and obesity among this population demand further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Development & Quality of Life, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. aryatiahmad@unisza.edu.my.
authors.forename: Aryati
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2851-0339
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Development & Quality of Life, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nurzaime
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zulaily
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Informatics & Computing, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Tembila Campus, 22200, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nor Saidah
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Abdul Manan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Razif
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Shahril
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sharifah Wajihah Wafa
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Syed Saadun Tarek Wafa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Medical Campus, 20400, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rahmah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohd Amin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Informatics & Computing, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Tembila Campus, 22200, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Engku Fadzli Hasan
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Syed Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Institute of Engineering Mathematics, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Pauh Putra Campus, 02600, Arau, Perlis, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Amran
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012572:School Health Services; D012574:Schools
keywords: Body weight status; Malaysia; School adolescents; Terengganu