Socio-demographic and economic determinants of obesity among day secondary school students in selected sub-counties of Machakos county, Kenya

Abstract

Context: Obesity among adolescents is a growing public health concern worldwide, including in Kenya. Despite its growing prevalence, there is limited evidence on the determinants of obesity among day secondary school students in Machakos County. This study sought to assess socio-demographic and economic determinants of obesity among day secondary school students in selected sub-counties of Machakos County, Kenya.

Methods: This study used an analytical cross-sectional design with a mixed-methods approach. Associations between dependent and independent variables were assessed using binary and multivariate logistic regression (p ≤ 0.05), while qualitative data were analyzed thematically.

Results: From this study, the prevalence of obesity was 8.5%. Students aged 15–18 years (aOR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.273–3.721, p = 0.002), Students with mothers who had primary education (aOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.862–3.322, p = 0.02), and students with employed fathers (aOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 2.131–3.995, p = 0.001) had significantly higher odds of obesity, whereas spending less than two hours per day on screen-based activities reduced the odds of obesity (aOR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.273–0.742, p = 0.01).

Conclusion: This study highlights that adolescent obesity remains a growing public health concern influenced by socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. The findings demonstrates the significant role of family structure, parental education, and lifestyle habits in influencing students’ weight outcomes. The study recommends that schools integrate nutrition and physical activity programs into their curricula, while engaging parents, especially those with demanding jobs or in single-parent households, through community-based education on healthy lifestyles.