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. 2022 Jan 31;14(1):e21795. doi: 10.7759/cureus.21795

Table 2. Factors associated with overweight and obesity among the participants (n=2,221).

*significant at p < 0.05; **significant at p < 0.001

Variable   Overweight & obese n (%) Non-overweight & obese n (%) t/Χ2 df p
Sex          
    Male 332 (32.8) 679 (67.2) 0.790 1 0.374
Female 376 (31.1) 834 (68.9)      
Age (years)          
    < 13 155 (32.2) 326 (67.8) 8.284 4 0.082
    13 to < 14 259 (34.8) 485 (65.2)      
    14 to < 15 75 (32.9) 153 (67.1)      
    15 to < 16 144 (27.3) 384 (72.7)      
16 to < 17 75 (31.3) 165 (68.8)      
Ethnicity          
Malay   604 (32.8) 1240 (67.2) 6.840 5 0.233
Chinese 20 (25.0) 60 (75.0)      
Indian 81 (29.1) 197 (70.9)      
    Bumiputera Sabah 2 (28.6) 5 (71.4)      
    Bumiputera Sarawak 0 (0.0) 6 (100.0)      
    Others 1 (16.7) 5 (83.3)      
Breakfast consumption          
    Never  152 (38.9) 239 (61.1) 23.035 2 <0.001**
    1-6 days  498 (32.0) 1059 (68.0)      
Daily 58 (21.2) 215 (78.8)      
Fast food consumption          
    Never  93 (39.9) 140 (60.1) 10.889 3 0.012*
    1-3 days  550 (31.5) 1196 (68.5)      
    4-6 days 53 (25.6) 154 (74.4)      
Daily 12 (34.3) 23 (65.7)      
Eating out frequency          
    Never  107 (37.7) 177 (62.3) 11.260 3 0.010*
    1-3 times 518 (32.0) 1102 (68.0)      
4-6 times 67 (24.6) 205 (75.4)      
7 times 16 (35.6) 29 (64.4)      
Snacking frequency          
    Never  25 (34.7) 47 (65.3) 4.876 3 0.181
    1-3 times 432 (30.3) 996 (69.7)      
    4-6 times 214 (34.7) 402 (65.3)      
     7 times 37 (35.2) 68 (64.8)      
Physical activity           
Low 458 (35.9) 817 (64.1) 22.545 1 <0.001**
Moderate & high 250 (26.4) 696 (73.6)      
Screen time (weekend)          
< 2 hours 279 (30.6) 633 (69.4) 1.177 1 0.278
≥ 2 hours 429 (32.8) 880 (67.2)      
Screen time (school day)          
< 2 hours 458 (32.3) 962 (67.7) 0.256 1 0.613
≥ 2 hours 250 (31.2) 551 (68.8)      
Self-esteem          
Low (< 15)     120 (31.2) 265 (68.8) 0.108 1 0.743
Normal (≥ 15)  588 (32.0) 1248 (68.0)      
Body size satisfaction          
    Maintain 202 (21.9) 719 (78.1) 412.894 2 <0.001**
    Wish to have smaller size 497 (54.5) 415 (45.5)      
    Wish to have bigger size 9 (2.3) 379 (97.7)      
Body size perception          
    Perceived underweight    75 (14.1) 458 (85.9) 501.933 2 <0.001**
    Perceived normal weight 164 (17.4) 780 (82.6)      
Perceived overweight  469 (2.3) 275 (37.0)      
Depression          
Normal & mild (≤ 13)     422 (30.7) 954 (69.3) 2.434 1 0.119
≥ Moderate (> 13)  286 (33.8) 559 (66.2)      
Anxiety          
Normal & mild (≤ 9)     253 (32.1) 534 (67.9) 0.041 1 0.840
≥ Moderate (> 9)  455 (31.7) 979 (68.3)      
Stress          
Normal & mild (≤ 18)     511 (32.0) 1088 (68.0) 0.017 1 0.897
≥ Moderate (> 18)  197 (31.7) 425 (68.3)      
Healthy eating and weight self-efficacy          
    Mean ± SD 36.34 ± 6.42 37.14 ± 6.74 -2.634 2219 0.009*
Perceived physical activity self-efficacy          
    Mean ± SD 26.72 ± 4.73 27.16 ± 4.70 -2.075 2219 0.038*
Nutrition knowledge          
    Mean ± SD 11.23 ± 4.11 11.00 ± 3.87 1.249 1308.78 0.202