Prevalence of and Socio-Demographic Factors Related with Overweight

The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of overweight and to describe the socio-demographic factors related with overweight. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at women’s college Kathmandu, Nepal from January to April 2019 using a convenient sampling technique to select the subjects. The study was conducted among 202 female students aged 18 to 23 years with the self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire comprises questions on socio-demographic factors related to the weight status. The height and weight of subjects were self-reported to calculate the body mass index (BMI) and to group them into overweight, normal weight, and underweight according to the guidelines of the world health organization. The prevalence rate of overweight among the female students was 12.9% (CI: 8.4 – 17.8, p<0.05). The average BMI for overweight students is 26.4 ± 0.973 kg/m2 with 95% confidence interval: 26- 26.79, p < 0.05. Most of the students are conscious about their health. The socio-demographic factors behind overweight among the female students were physical inactivity, unhealthy food consumption pattern, and moderate average family monthly income. Keywords: Body Mass Index, Nepal, Overweight, Prevalence, Socio demographic, Student