Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Edward Irobi

Abstract

There is limited data on childhood obesity and the number of days bullied in Trinidad and Tobago. This study examined the association between childhood obesity and the number of days an obese child has been bullied in Trinidad in the past 30 days, with family support as a moderator. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological model, which posits that a child’s microsystems are instrumental in influencing their behaviors. A self-administered low-cost 2017 Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was used for this cross-sectional study. The sample comprised 2,229 school adolescents 13 to 17 years of age. Childhood obesity was measured using the World Health Organization’s criteria to define obesity for the 2017 GSHS. A moderated regression analysis was used for the study. Findings indicate that underweight, overweight, obese, age, and gender did not predict (p = .523) the number of days a child is bullied in Trinidad and Tobago. Adding the interaction term did not yield significant results (p = .306). However, when family support was added to the model, the findings were significant p < .001. Family support directly affects bullying but does not moderate the relationship between childhood obesity and bullying. The social change implications are that findings can be used to educate educators and school administrators in Trinidad and Tobago and alleviate bullying incidents.

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