Skip to main content

Table 2 Sample and population size weighted results of the anthropometric characteristics of the sample of 1942 Palestinian adolescents from Ramallah and Hebron governorates

From: Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of stunting, underweight, and overweight among Palestinian school adolescents (13-15 years) in two major governorates in the West Bank

  Ramallah     Hebron    
  Totala Boys Girls Pb Totala Boys Girls Pb
  n = 935 n = 437 n = 498   n = 1007 n = 458 n = 549  
Age (years), mean (SE) 14.4 (0.1) 14.4 (0.1) 14.4 (0.1) 0.983 14.4 (0.1) 14.3 (0.1) 14.4 (0.1) 0.273
Age of onset of puberty (years), mean (SE) 13.1 (0.1)* 13.1 (0.1) 13.0 (0.1) 0.226 13.3 (0.1)* 13.5 (0.1) 13.1 (0.1) 0.015
Weight (kg), mean (SE) 53.4 (1.0) 53.5 (1.8) 53.3 (1.0) 0.899 51.1 (0.7) 50.1 (1.3) 51.9 (0.5) 0.206
BMI (kg/m2), mean (SE) 20.7 (0.3) 20.1 (0.4) 21.2 (0.3) 0.045 20.1 (0.2) 19.3 (0.3) 20.7 (0.2) 0.001
BMI percentile, mean (SE) 53.5 (2.1) 47.2 (2.4) 58.6 (2.4) 0.002 49.1 (1.8) 42.0 (2.5) 54.9 (1.5) < 0.001
BMI categories using the 2000 CDC reference         
   Underweight % (95% CI) 6.1 (4.4, 8.3)* 9.7 (7.7, 12.3) 3.1 (1.8, 5.3)   9.1 (7.1, 11.6)* 12.9 (9.5, 17.2) 6.0 (4.1, 8.7)  
   Overweight % (95% CI) 12.9 (9.7, 16.9) 9.6 (7.2, 12.7) 15.6 (10.7, 22.2) 0.005 11.2 (9.1, 13.8) 8.5 (6.0, 12.0) 13.5 (10.5, 17.1) 0.001
   Obesity % (95% CI) 7.0 (4.7, 10.4) 8.2 (4.1, 15.7) 6.0 (3.9, 9.3)   4.1 (2.9, 5.8) 4.9 (2.8, 8.5) 3.4 (2.2, 5.6)  
BMI categories using the IOTF criteria         
   Overweight % (95% CI) 16.4 (12.9, 20.5)* 13.3 (10.6, 16.5) 18.9 (13.5, 25.9)   13.1 (10.9, 15.7)* 10.9 (7.9, 14.9) 14.9 (11.9, 18.6)  
   Obesity % (95% CI) 4.1 (2.4, 7.1) 5.2 (2.0, 12.9) 3.3 (2.1, 4.9) 0.182 2.1 (1.3, 3.4) 2.2 (1.1, 4.6) 2.0 (1.0, 3.9) 0.230
Height (cm), mean (SE) 160.0 (0.7) 162.1 (1.1) 158.3 (0.5) 0.005 159.2 (0.4) 160.3 (0.8) 158.4 (0.3) 0.027
Height for age percentile, mean (SE) 38.1 (1.6) 36.9 (2.6) 39.1 (2.1) 0.510 36.1 (1.2) 33.3 (1.7) 38.5 (1.3) 0.022
Stunting % (95% CI) 7.3 (5.1, 10.4) 9.2 (5.2, 15.4) 5.9 (3.9, 8.8) 0.195 6.5 (5.1, 8.3) 9.4 (7.5, 11.7) 4.2 (2.8, 6.2) < 0.001
  1. SE: Standard error. BMI: body mass index, 95% CI: 95% confidence interval. CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, IOTF: International Obesity Task Force.
  2. *P < 0.05
  3. aP is for the difference between total adolescents in Ramallah governorate and total adolescents in Hebron governorates using χ2 for categorical variables and t-test for means.
  4. bP is for the difference between genders in the same governorate using χ2 for categorical variables and t-test for means.
  5. Number of adolescents who have reached puberty: boys from Ramallah = 363, girls from Ramallah = 389, boys from Hebron = 365, and girls from Hebron = 465.
Back to article page

BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

Contact us