Advanced International Journal for Research

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Prevalence of Overweight/Obesity and its Associated Factors among Undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery Students in Northern Region of Ghana.

Author(s) Mr. Emmanuel Asante, Ms. Paulina Bavirewo Wekem, Ms. Joyce Wepiah Achana, Mr. Dorothy Anukem Pwamang
Country Ghana
Abstract Introduction
The worldwide increase of overweight and obesity has become a serious concern and impacts all ages and people of every class. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports an increase of overweight youngsters due to change of lifestyles, eating habits and a decrease in exercise. Academic pressure, poor eating, and inactivity make university students a particularly high-risk group to gain overweight status. In Ghana, the burden of overweight and obesity has been increasing, with evidence suggesting a growing prevalence among young adults, including tertiary students. However, very little information is available to understand the implications of overweight and obesity on health for nursing and midwifery students who are the future health practitioners. Understanding the implications of overweight and obesity for this group is very important, as it will impact their health behaviours, and, in turn, their ability to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and, to influence health behaviours in the community. This study therefore sought to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and examined the associated factors among undergraduate nursing and midwifery students in the Northern Region of Ghana.
Method
An institutional-based study with a cross-sectional design was employed with quantitative approach. This study was conducted among undergraduate nursing and midwifery students of University for Development Studies (UDS) on Tamale Campus. The study employed a probability sampling technique and sampled 422 students from all the department under School of Nursing and Midwifery. Bivariate analysis was conducted to test the relationship between the dependent variable (prevalence of overweight/obesity) and the independent variables with a confidence interval of 95% (p=0.05).
Results
The study showed that 30.3% of students were 25 years or younger, and while 69.4% had a normal weight, about 30.6% were overweight or obese. Specifically, 25.5% were overweight and 5.1% were obese. Age, level of study, and marital status were all significantly associated with students’ nutritional status, whereas place of residence showed no significant relationship. Further analysis revealed that age, level of study, and marital status were also significant predictors of overweight and obesity. Notably, students aged 36–40 years were almost four times more likely to develop overweight or obesity compared to those aged 25 years and below (AOR = 3.912, 95%CI: 1.798 to 8.512, p = 0.001).
Conclusion
The study revealed that although most nursing and midwifery students maintained a normal weight, a considerable proportion were overweight or obese. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to address weight-related health risks among undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. It is recommended that universities implement regular nutrition and lifestyle education programmes, focusing particularly on older students and those at higher levels of study, to promote healthy habits and reduce the risk of overweight and obesity.
Keywords Prevalence, Obesity, Overweight, Nutritional Status, and Student
Field Sociology > Health
Published In Volume 6, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On 2025-12-23
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