Prevalence of Obesity/Overweight and Associated Factors among University Students

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are rapidly increasing global public health concerns, particularly among university students, due to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and environmental and psychosocial risk factors. Aims: The study aims to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and identify associated factors among university students in Sulaimani. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: University of Sulaimani, Iraq, between 1st March 2024 and 20th March 2024. Methodology: A total of 530 university students aged 18–26 years were included. Data were collected using an online questionnaire via Google Forms covering demographic characteristics, dietary habits, physical activity, sitting time, sleep patterns. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to classify participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results: Among 530 participants, 336 (63.4%) were female, 186 (35.1%) were male, and 8 (1.5%) were not reported. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 37.7% and 7.35%, respectively. Significant associations were found between BMI and prolonged sitting time (>4 hours/day), low physical activity, frequent fast food consumption, and family history of obesity (P < 0.01). No significant association was observed between sleep duration and obesity (P = .23). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among university students in Sulaimani. Modifiable lifestyle factors such as sedentary behavior, poor diet, and physical inactivity significantly contribute to this condition, alongside genetic predisposition (World Health Organization, 2021; NCD Risk Factor Collaboration [NCD-RisC], 2024; Abarca-Gómez et al., 2023; Al-Qahtani et al., 2024).