LIFESTYLE AND ANTHROPOMETRICS STATUS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN UZO-UWANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study was undertaken to determine lifestyle and anthropometrics status of secondary school teachers in Uzo-uwani local government area of Enugu state. Data for this report was obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 177 teachers. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on personal, socio-economic characteristics, socio-demographic, lifestyle and dietary pattern. Information on anthropometry was also determined using standard methods. Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist-hip-ratio were calculated. Data obtained from the study were subjected to statistical analysis, using statistical package for social sciences version 23. The results of the different variables collected revealed that many of the respondents 56(31.6%) were within the ages of 30-35 years. Information on educational status showed that all the respondents attained tertiary education. Information on the lifestyle shows that little above half (50.8%) consumes alcohol, most (87%) consumes carbonated drinks while 9.6% smoke cigarette. Also, 77.4% performed physical activity, many 54.8 spent 60-120minutes on physical exercise in a week currently. Dietary habit profile of the respondent shows that 61.6% skipped meal. Breakfast was the most skipped meal (32.2%) followed by lunch (24.3%). More of the respondents (31.1%) eat snacks twice in a week while 25.4% eat snacks once in two days, 43.5% eat fruit and vegetable thrice in a week. The anthropometric characteristics of secondary school teachers shows that the male participants had a mean weight, height, hip circumference, waist circumference, body mass index and waist hip ratio of 70.53kg, 1.73m, 95.77cm, 85.40cm, 23.62kg/m² and 0.89 respectively, whereas, the females had a mean weight, height, hip circumference, waist circumference, body mass index and waist hip ratio of 68.90kg, 1.85m, 101.48cm, 89.43cm, 24.64kg/m² and 0.88 respectively. BMI result showed that the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity among secondary school teachers in the study area was 2.3%, 62.1%, 29.4% and 6.2% respectively. The result of waist-Hip-ratio (WHR) shows that 40.1% of the respondents had abdominal obesity out of which (63 were females and 8 males). A little above half (54.3%) of the male participants had low risk of metabolic diseases as only a few (8.5%) had high risk, while a majority (75.9%) of the female participants in the study had high risk of metabolic disease. The relationship between lifestyle and BMI status shows that there was significant relationship on physical exercise, time spent on physical exercise, meal skipping and meal skipped. This study demonstrated high prevalence of unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle; together with high prevalence of overweight and abdominal obesity. Health and nutrition education and other interventions to promote healthy eating habits and lifestyle, especially among high risk groups are suggested.

Non-communicable diseases have overtaken communicable diseases as the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria (Sani et al., 2010 and Oladapo et al., 2010).  The changing disease pattern has been attributed to factors such as inappropriate lifestyle which include changes in diet, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and inadequate exercise as well as fetal malnutrition, which predisposes individuals to development of non-communicable diseases in adulthood (Oladapo et al., 2010). Among these non-communicable diseases is obesity which is as a result of inadequate exercise and excessive consumption high calorie diet. Others are colon cancer, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal cirrhosis, stomach ulcers, and cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of this diseases associated with lifestyle is high. For example in 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults (20 years and above) were overweight, and of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese (World Health Organization 2011) and in Nigeria, the prevalence of obesity was at 31.7% and 16.3% using waist circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI) respectively among Nigerian adults in Rivers State (siminialayi et al., 2008).  Similarly the prevalence smoking in Nigeria is also high. According to Eileen (2006) in 2005, 25 per cent of men and 23 per cent of women are cigarette smokers. and smoking is associated with this causes cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cancer etc. of this data It is very important that one should employ and practice a healthy lifestyle in order to prolong ones lifespan because according to Delaun et al. (1998) Controlling risk factors in lifestyle and healthy habits such as inappropriate nutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use can reduce 50 percent of early deaths. Healthy lifestyle has been shown to improve productivity and also prolong lifespan (Delaun et al., 1998)

Lifestyle is generally said to include behaviors such as food habits, sleeping and resting, physical activity and exercising, weight controlling, smoking and alcohol consumption, immunization against disease, coping with stress and ability to use family and society supports (Monahan et al., 2003).                                                                                                                                         

Teachers constitute a significant fraction of the Nigerian workforce (Fadupin et al., 2014);  and they have been described as sedentary workers; due to the nature of their work which allows for more sitting during the day thereby allowing for little physical activity (Pobee, et al., 2013). Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining physical and cardiovascular fitness, maintaining healthy weight, and sustaining weight loss once achieved (Fogelholm et al., 2000). Only few nutrition studies in Nigeria have focused on adults generally and workers specifically teachers. Most school based nutrition studies and interventions in Nigeria have focused on school children and the relationship of nutrition to health and academic performance (Essien et al., 2012).

 

This work is therefore designed to evaluate the lifestyle and anthropometric status of secondary teachers in Uzo-uwani LGA of Enugu State

1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM                                                                                                         

Lifestyle is amongst the major causes of morbidity and mortality among the adult especially in the developing countries like Nigeria; People that have lifestyle pattern such as smoking, drinking alcohol, physical inactivity and eating poorly are three times more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases four times more likely to die of cancer and others non-communicable disease like obesity, renal diseases etc. (WHO, 2015). 

Inadequate physical activity as one of the 3 major threats to modern health alongside cigarette smoking and poor nutrition (WHO, 2002; Nicolas, 2004) and among unhealthy lifestyles, smoking and lack of regular physical activity are of major importance in public Health because they are highly prevalent and potentially modifiable (Varo et al, 2003). Change in dietary habit, physical activity and unhealthy lifestyle have been implicated as potential cause of non-communicable disease (Buckworth and Nigg, 2004). In many developing countries such as Nigeria, non-communicable disease resulting for unhealthy lifestyle such as obesity and obesity-related morbidity are becoming a problem of increase importance (pasquet et al., 2003)

 

About 1.2 billion people worldwide are overweight and at least 300 million of them are obese (WHO, 2010). Twenty percent of all deaths of people 35 years and older were attributed to a lack of physical activity (Adams, 2006). Similarly, overall physical inactivity was estimated to cause 1.9million deaths and 19 million disability adjusted life year globally (WHO, 2002). 

According to Adams (2006), sedentary lifestyle is said to increase the risk of dying from cancer by 45 percent for men and 28 percent for women, death from respiratory ailments was 92 percent higher for men and 75 percent higher for women. The risk of dying from heart diseases was 52 percent higher for men and 28 percent higher for women. Sedentary workers like teachers have been reported to be at higher risk of diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, piles, obesity and diabetics due to their sedentary lifestyles, relatively better socio-economic condition and highly stressful nature of their job (Umesh, 2012).

Due to these problems identified, it is worth carrying out the project to assess the lifestyle and anthropometric measurement of secondary school teachers in Uzo-uwani local government area of Enugu State, Nigeria

1.2.1 The general objective of the study                                                                                                           

The general objective of the study is to assess the lifestyles and anthropometric status of Secondary school teachers in Uzo-uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria                                            

The specific objective of the study are to:

This work will give an insight to the lifestyle and anthropometric status of respondent and will also help the respondents understand their anthropometric status as well as to maintain or improve on it as case may be.

The work will inform the public the lifestyle of respondents and how it affect their nutrition and health status.

 It will allow for comparison between the anthropometric status and lifestyle of secondary school teachers in Uzo-uwani LGA of Enugu State

This work will also provide a fundamental data for nutritionist, public health workers, policy maker and advocacies of food and nutrition. It will go a long way in helping the stakeholders in nutrition to draw up appropriate intervention programs for secondary school teachers in Uzo-uwai LGA of Enugu State.

The result of this work will also act as reference guide for students and researchers