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Page 67
J Obes Eat Disord, 2017
ISSN: 2471-8203
August 23-24, 2017 | Toronto, Canada
allied
academies
INTERNATIONAL OBESITY, BARIATRIC AND
METABOLIC SURGERY SUMMIT AND EXPO
Statistical Analysis of Body - Mass data for Young African Children
Kwabena A. Kyei
Department of Statistics, University of Venda, South Africa
A
nalysis of body- mass data is useful because body-mass-
index (BMI) is a good indicator of body fat for both adults
and children. It is good as a screening tool to identify weight
problems in individuals. High BMI predicts future morbidity
and death. Though it is not reliable for children nor is it
good to be used as a diagnostic tool, it gives a clue to healthy
lifestyles for both adults and children. BMI values correlate
statistically with the risk for developing disease and dying
such that for every 5kg/m
2
jump in BMI outside 22.5 – 25.0,
the associated mortality risk increases with 30% jump. Do
children in Nigeria have body-mass problem? If so what are
the factors?
Objective:
To determine the level of BMI among young
children and to model the covariates.
Methods:
A survey was conducted between April and July
2014 in Nigeria. The survey covered a thousand young
children aged between 10 and 20 years randomly sampled.
Generalized Linear Modeling (GLM) was used in the analysis.
Results:
The results show that the mean BMI is 18.43 and
that factors affecting BMI are age, gender, educational level,
mother’s occupation and the person with whom the child
lives.
Conclusion:
The mean BMI is 18.43, and this indicates
that, generally, the children do not have weight problem
nor is fatness a problem because its BMI lies within the
recommended/expected range. Important factors affecting it
(BMI) are children living with both parents, level of education
and mother’s occupation.
Keywords:
BMI, children, Generalized Linear Models
e:
Kyei61@gmail.comJ Obes Eat Disord, 3:2
DOI: 10.21767/2471-8203-C1-003