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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.
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BMC Public Health

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