Table 2.
Anthropometric characteristics of secondary school learners in Eastern Cape showing significant differences between age groups and geographic location.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | All Males | 11–14 | 15–17 | 18–26 | p-Value | Urban | Rural | p-Value | All Females | 11–14 | 15–17 | 18–26 | p-Value | Urban | Rural | p-Value |
| n | 474 | 78 | 173 | 223 | 221 | 253 | 764 | 127 | 369 | 268 | 320 | 444 | ||||
| Mean BMI kgm2 (SD) | 20.7 &&& 0.18 |
19.3 (A) 0.25 |
20.4 (B) 0.26 |
21.4 (C) 0.21 |
>0.05 | 21.0 0.24 |
20.4 0.22 |
>0.05 | 23.9 0.26 |
21.7 [B] 0.46 |
23.9 [A] 0.34 |
24.9 [A] 0.33 |
p < 0.05 | 24.3 0.35 |
23.6 0.34 |
>0.05 |
| % Underweight | 13.3 | 10.3 | 15.6 | 12.6 | 0.124 | 13.6 | 13.0 | 0.014 * | 5.5 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 0.402 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 0.070 |
| % Normal weight | 76.8 | 75.6 | 76.9 | 77.1 | 72.4 | 80.6 | 58.4 | 66.1 | 58.5 | 54.5 | 52.5 | 62.6 | ||||
| % Overweight | 7.4 | 12.8 | 4.6 | 7.6 | 10.0 | 5.1 | 23.8 | 19.7 | 23.8 | 25.7 | 25.3 | 22.7 | ||||
| % Obese | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 12.3 | 7.9 | 11.7 | 15.3 | 15.9 | 9.7 | ||||
| % Overweight and obese | 9.9 | 14.1 | 7.5 | 10.3 | <0.05 # | 14.0 | 6.3 | <0.001 *** | 36.1 | 27.6 | 35.5 | 41.0 | 0.053 | 41.3 | 32.4 | <0.023 $ |
&&& Significant difference between gender groups, independent t-test, p < 0.001. # Significant relationship between age and overweight/obesity for males, chi-square test, p < 0.05. * Significant relationship between area of residence and BMI status, males, chi-square test, p < 0.05. *** Significant relationship between area of residence and overweight/obesity for males, chi-square test, p < 0.0001. $ Significant relationship between area of residence and overweight/obesity for females, chi-square test, p < 0.05. (A), (B) and (C): Different symbols indicate significant differences between age groups, Bonferroni, p < 0.05.