Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Srikanta Bernajee

Abstract

Obesity and overweightness are a significant public health problem and a risk factor for many chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to find the associations between gender, race, physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among obese and overweight African American adolescents aged 12 to 19 years. An improved understanding of the health issues could help this population live a longer quality life and prevent serious health implications in adulthood. A quantitative approach with a sample size of 331 was used. The control variables were age and household income, the dependent variable was HRQOL, and the independent variables were race, physical activity, and gender. The findings indicated that physical activity and annual household income were predictors of HRQOL in obese and overweight African American adolescents. There was a marginal main effect of income, such that a higher income level predicted less healthy days (B = -.02, SE = .01, t = -1.84, p = .07). There was a main effect of ethnicity, such that African American adolescents were more likely to report a lower number of days of physical health as not being good (B = -1.35, SE = .63, t = -2.14, p = .03) than their White counterparts. There was a marginal main effect of income, such that a higher income level predicted fewer days of physical health not being good (B = -.14, SE = .07, t = -1.94, p = .05). The findings from this study indicated a need for future research with a larger sample size. This study could potentially add to social change through relating obesity and HRQOL among African American adolescents by providing policymakers information for informed intervention. .

Download

Share

 
COinS