Prevalence of and Risk factors for Adolescent Obesity in Tennessee using the 2010 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data: an Analysis Using Stratified Hierarchical Logistic Regression

• Main Authors: Holt, Nicole, Zheng, Shimin, Morrell, Casey L., Quinn, Megan A., Strasser, Sheryl
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2016
• Subjects: prevalence; risk factors; adolescent obesity; Tennessee; Youth Risk Behavior Survey; YRBS; Biostatistics and Epidemiology; Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Substance Abuse and Addiction
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/107

The purpose of the present study was to utilize a statewide, representative sample of students in grades 6-8 in Tennessee to determine the co-occurrence of health risk behaviors such as smoking, substance use and eating disorders, among adolescents by determining the impact gender, age, race, and geographic region have on the association of these behaviors with the prevalence of adolescent obesity. We also explored the role that district, school, and class level health risk behavior variables play in adolescent obesity. Among adolescent females in the sample, 17.25% were obese, whereas 27.27% of males were obese. Stratified Hierarchical Logistic Regression Analysis demonstrated that several variables such as having ever tried smoking, having a weight misperception, and eating disorder, watching TV for more than 3 hours a day, and not engaging on a sports team remained consistent in their significant association with adolescent obesity across all groups. The findings from this study suggest that certain risk behaviors play an important role in adolescent obesity. Perhaps the most significant finding of our study that requires more investigation is the effect of education on adolescent obesity.