The Determinants of Obesity among Students of the University of Venda, Limpopo Province of South Africa

Background: Obesity is a serious public health issue, recognised as a global epidemic affecting millions of people worldwide. The prevalence of obesity has been established among all age groups of different countries of the world. Numerous researches have confirmed the increasing prevalence rate of overweight and obesity globally. Overweight and Obesity are also prevalent amongst University students. The researcher observed that many students at the University of Venda look overweight; this might indicate the possibility of high prevalence of obesity among the student population. More so, majority of students that look overweight do not utilise the physical exercise equipment at the gym provided by the University or engage in any sporting activity. The purpose of the study was to describe the determinants of obesity among students of the University of Venda. Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach using a descriptive correlational survey design was adopted. A questionnaire was used as Instrument for data collection from a cross-section of the students. Simple random sampling and systematic sampling methods was used to select the participants. A total of 338 students (155 male and 183 female) were selected to constitute the sample size. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 22. Descriptive analyses were performed to show frequency distributions. Chi–square test was used to compare relationship between obesity and socio-demographic; dietary and environmental variables among students. Results: Overweight and obesity is prevalent among student population with 20% of the participants being overweight and 9.5% obese. Unhealthy eating practices were found among the participants. There was statistical significant difference in BMI between male and female gender with female (66%) being more obese than male (34%). In terms of socio-demographic variable this study found gender and age of participants as important factor of overweight and obesity. Discussion and Conclusion: This study found that malnutrition among participants exists in the form of under and over nutrition. The study also revealed gender differences among the types of malnutrition. Wherein female participants were more underweight, overweight and obese than their male participants, notably more male participants have normal bodyweight than that their female counterparts. These findings were similar to the findings of Murray in South Africa, study by Pengpid and Peltzer among University students in India. On the contrary to these findings, study by Sardinha et al. On Portuguese adults; show that overweight and obesity were predominantly prevalent among the male than in the female. This study therefore recommends that regular nutrition education campaign be carried out in the University in order to motivate more healthy food choices. Also consistent Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities (MVPA) lifestyle is recommended.