CHAPTER I

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Introduction

Health is an important factor of a being. It describes an individual’s physical

and mental state. Also, it is not merely being able to be free from diseases or

illnesses but also being able to recover from it. As it has been always said, “Health

is wealth”. This shows how necessary it is for everyone to give importance to the

aspect of health for it serves as the source of strength and abilities of a person.

With this, it is a must to have and sustain a healthy lifestyle. This includes regular

exercises, getting enough of sleep, good hygiene habits and a healthy diet.

However, it is a must to know that health is not just about the physical health for

mental health is as also as important this. This is because a body reacts with what

a mind thinks. In giving importance to health, everyone must be aware of the

factors that may affect it. These factors include the psychological and social factors

that play a big role in one’s health because without proper importance to these

factors could lead a person in some unhealthy conditions. One of these conditions

are the cases of obesity.

Obesity is one of the public health problems in most nations. This is a

medical condition wherein there is an excessive amount of weight or body fat that

may negatively affect the health of an individual. This condition can be diagnosed

by knowing the body mass index－the measure of body fat based on height and

weight of an individual. If someone has a high body mass index, this person may

be considered as either overweight or obese. Obesity do not just affect an

1
individual physically but also increases the risk of diseases and more health

problems which people barely know. This includes some of the serious health

problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. In relation with

this, an obese person should not ignore their own health but instead consult a

doctor and seek advices about the right things to do. In understanding obesity,

each person has to keep in mind that there are lots of factors that may cause it.

This includes the psychological and social factors that may largely affect the

lifestyle of an individual. Psychological factors that may lead to obesity may include

stress eating, binge eating, and sometimes, the intake of alcohol.

According to Catbagan (2015), the overall picture that shows of an

increasing trend of either obese or overweight people in the Philippines is

disturbing since the 2015 national average prevalence of 31.1 percent is almost

double the country’s prevalence in 1993, which was only at 16.3 percent, based

on the survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute. He stated also that the

country’s obesity and overweight situation is already an epidemic. He said being

obese or overweight leads to serious health problems, such as high risk of having

cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, diabetes, reproductive health disorders,

constructive sleep apnea, and certain cancers. Patients who have weight issues

are advised on how to properly manage their diet and to increase their physical

activities. Interventions are provided on a case to case basis, among which is

targeting weight loss of between eight to 10 percent of the baseline weight of the

patient by reducing caloric consumption. He said that it is also important to assess

and attend to the psychological or mental state of the patient, in cases where the

2
obese patient is subjected to bullying or fat shaming, or when other factors such

as when overeating, which leads to weight gain, is a patient’s way of coping with

depression, stress, or anxiety.

A person’s behavioral habits may also lead to obesity if it come to a point

where he or she lacks of physical activities. On the other hand, social factors that

may lead to obesity may include gender, race and socioeconomic status. From

these, we can say that obesity is a complex condition that is affected by many

factors that is why it is necessary to have an enough knowledge and awareness

about this condition and the factors that can affect it.

According to Acuin et al (2018), in 2016, the World Health Organization

(WHO) estimated that at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of

overweight/ obesity associated with the occurrence of chronic diseases that has

dire social and economic consequences. In the Philippines, the prevalence of

overweight/ obesity among adults showed a gradually increasing trend. Local

studies using national-scale data on the determinants of overweight/ obesity

among adults in the Philippines are found to be lacking as related studies available

were done on selected population groups only. This study aimed to address this

research gap and provide evidence for setting goals and targets to halt the

increase of overweight/ obesity. Analysis of secondary data was done using the

2013 National Nutrition Survey results. Findings revealed that 30.0% of 9,076

adults 20.0 years and over with complete socio-demographic, socio-economic,

anthropometric, clinical, and health and dietary data were overweight/ obese.

Controlling for the effects of other variables, the factors significantly associated

3
with overweight/ obesity among adults 20.0 years and over included adequacy of

recommended energy intake, type of residence, age group, civil status, wealth

quintile, highest educational attainment, and smoking status. The odds of being

overweight/ obese was 29% higher among those who met the recommended

energy intake compared to those who did not, and 28% higher among those living

in urban areas than rural areas. As socio-economic status improved and as the

population aged, the odds of overweight/ obesity increased. Adults with partners

were more likely to be overweight/ obese than those who were single. In

comparison to adults with no grade completed, the odds of being overweight/

obese were higher among those who were high school/ vocational graduates and

twice as high among college graduates. This study provides consistent evidence

on the factors associated with overweight/ obesity, which may be addressed

through multi-sectoral approach by crafting maximally effective programs and local

policies.

As stated by World Health Organization (2017), the Philippines is not spared

from the increase of world’s prevalence of obesity among children and

adolescents. Results of national nutrition surveys are showing slow but increasing

childhood overweight and obesity rates. The 8th National Nutrition Survey reveals

that the prevalence of overweight among children 0-5 years old has significantly

risen from 1% in 1989 to 5% in 2013. Similarly, prevalence of overweight among

children 5-10 years old has also risen from 5.8% in 2003 to 9.1% in 2013. The

2011 Global School-based Health Survey also shows that about 13% of

adolescents in the Philippines are overweight and obese. Evidence shows that

4
overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more

likely to develop noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and

cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. NCDs are now the leading killers in the

Philippines, comprising more than 50% all deaths each year.

With the increasing cases of obesity among the children and adolescents

related to the psychological and social aspect, the researchers decided to conduct

this study to know the Sta. Teresa College’s Junior High School students’ level of

awareness on the psychological and social factors that can lead to obesity. With

this, the study aims to describe the respondents’ level of awareness on obesity

relative to the psychological and social factors. The study also aims to know if there

is significant difference on the level of awareness of the respondents when

grouped according to profile. This study is being conducted with the researchers’

hope that the results of the study would be of great help in terms of the prevention

of this health condition by raising the awareness about the certain factors that can

lead to obesity and its underlying effects.

Conceptual Framework

A conceptual framework provides a clear insight based on the flow of the

study. The framework will show the procedures of the researchers in identifying

the psychological and social factors leading to obesity.

Figure 1 describes the conceptual framework of the study wherein the input

consists the profile of the respondents in terms of their age, sex, height, weight

and the respondents’ level of awareness on obesity to be described in terms of

5
psychological and social factors which is needed to be consider in analyzing and

evaluating the study.

On the other side, the process being used is through questionnaire to gather

enough information and data from the respondents. The data collected will be

studied and interpreted by the researchers.

The third box shows the desired output of the researchers which are the

proposed activities to raise the level of awareness on the factors leading to obesity.

In the book of Collins and Bentz (2009), they stated that psychological aspects

of obesity are so important. Psychological and behavioral issues play significant

roles in both the development and consequences of obesity. Food is often used as

a coping mechanism by those with weight problems, particularly when they are

sad, anxious, stressed, lonely, and frustrated. In many obese individuals there

appears to be a perpetual cycle of mood disturbance, overeating, and weight gain.

When they feel distressed, they turn to food to help cope, and though such comfort

eating may result in temporary attenuation of their distressed mood, the weight

gain that results may cause a dysphoric mood due to their inability to control their

stress. The resulting guilt may reactivate the cycle, leading to a continuous pattern

of using food to cope with emotions. In addition to depression and anxiety, other

risk factors include problematic eating behaviors such as “mindless eating,”

frequent snacking on high calories foods, overeating, and night eating. Night

Eating Disorder (NES) is characterized by excessive nighttime consumption (>

35% of daily calories after the evening meal), unhealthy eating patterns, “morning

anorexia,” insomnia, and distress. More recently, NES has been viewed as a

6
disorder of circadian rhythm that includes a delay of appetite in the mornings and

the continuation of appetite and overeating into the night that can lead to significant

weight gain.

According to Faith and Kral (2006), human social environments encompass

the immediate physical surroundings, social relationships, and cultural milieus

within which defined groups of people function and interact. Components of the

social environment include built infrastructure; industrial and occupational

structure; labor markets; social and economic processes; wealth; social, human,

and health services; power relations; government; race relations; social inequality;

cultural practices; the arts; religious institutions and practices; and beliefs about

place and community. Social environments can be experienced at multiple scales,

often simultaneously, including households, kin networks, neighborhoods, towns

and cities, and regions. There are evidences for potential social-environmental

influences on obesity and obesity-promoting behaviors. The social-environmental

variables include two “macroenvironmental” variables and two

“microenvironmental” variables. Macroenvironmental factors operate across larger

communities or populations, specifically, exposure to components of the “toxic

environment” and socioeconomic status (SES); “microenvironmental” factors, on

the other hand, refer to smaller groups of individuals or family members,

specifically, the “social facilitation” of overeating that occurs in group settings and

parent-child feeding dynamics. The two microenvironmental influences are social

facilitation of eating and parental feeding practices. These particular factors are

said to be reasonable providing information on these variables and, in regards to

7
feeding practices, because of its potential relevance for obesity prevention.

Behavioral traits are also have been associated with obesity. It is desirable to

identify refined behavioral traits that are related to positive energy balance and

obesity. Identifying such intermediary traits may help elucidate the pathways

through which the social environment and/or genes promote obesity. Eating

behavior of obese individuals is greatly influenced by the immediate food

environment. In particular, the eating behavior of obese individuals was believed

to be controlled by external cues related to the perception of time, taste and sight

of food, and the number of highly palatable food cues present rather than by

internal physiological cues of hunger. Eating style including rate of eating, bite size,

and the amount and rate of chewing are also associated with obesity because

obese individuals are said to take larger bites and eat faster than do normal-weight

individuals and that the obese would eat less if they ate more slowly.

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 1. Profile of respondents in terms of:
1.1 age
1.2 sex
1.3 height and;
1.4 weight
2. Respondents’ level of awareness on
obesity relative to:
2.1 psychological factors and;
2.2 social factors

• Questionnaire

Proposed activities to raise the level of

awareness on factors leading to obesity.

Figure 1.1
Research Paradigm
9
Theoretical Framework

This framework presents the theories associated to the topic of the study. Each

theory, being portrayed as an abstract, points out a narrowed-down set of insights

of its proponent.

Flusberg’s and Thibodeau’s Lay Theories on Obesity

In the lay theories of Flusberg and Thibodeau (2011) about obesity, they have

drawined on research in public health, communications, and psychology to

illuminate factors that shape beliefs and attitudes toward the condition, as well as

the consequences of specific lay theories for cognition and behavior. They have

stated that the role of narrative framing and individual demographics in the etiology

of lay beliefs, and particular psychological mechanisms (e.g., empathy) can affect

how people think and reason about obesity.

Marks Homeostatic Theory on Obesity

In the theory of Marks (2015), he describes the psychological theory of obesity.

It was proposed that all conditions of health and illness, including overweight and

obesity, are regulated by homeostasis. He also stated that health is regulated by

homeostasis, a property of all living things. Homeostasis maintains equilibrium at

set-points using feedback loops for optimum functioning of the organism.

Imbalances in homeostasis causing overweight and obesity are evident in more

than 1 billion people. The obesity gradient shows that the rising incidence of

overweight and obesity is not just a health issue, it is about social justice, because

the least well off suffer significantly higher rates of obesity.

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 Flusberg’s and
Marks Homeostatic
Thibodeau’s Lay
Theories on Obesity Theory on Obesity

Psychological
and Social
Factors Leading
to Obesity

Figure 1.2
Theoretical Paradigm

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know the respondents’ level of awareness on the

psychological and social factors leading to obesity

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of respondents in terms of:

1.1 grade level;

1.2 sex;

1.3 height; and

1.4 weight?

2. How may the respondents’ level of awareness on obesity be described relative

to:

2.1 psychological factors; and

2.2 social factors?

3. Is there significant difference on the level of awareness on the factors leading

to obesity when grouped according to their profile variables?

4. Based on the findings, what activities may be proposed to raise the level of

awareness on factors leading to obesity?

Hypothesis

Ho = There is no significant difference on the respondents’ level of awareness

on the factors leading to obesity when grouped according to their profile.

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Significance of the Study

The result of this study could be of importance to the following.

Students. This study will help them for it provides information about the level

of awareness on the psychological and social factors that may lead to obesity.

From this, they will have an idea on how important it is to have an enough

awareness about this matter that may also help them on preventing themselves

from this kind of health condition.

Schools. This study will them for this can serve as their reference on how to

guide the students well when it comes to their health. This will also motivate them

to give much importance on the psychological and social aspect of the students.

Physician. This study will help them for it provides a view about the level of

awareness on the psychological and social factors that may lead to obesity. From

this, they can get more information that they may apply in their field or profession.

Parents. This study will help them for it discusses the level of awareness on

the psychological and social factors that can lead to obesity. With this, they can

have an idea on how to guide their children well to prevent from having this kind of

health condition.

Future Researchers. This study will help them to conduct new researches as

this serve as their cross-reference that gives them a background or an overview

about the level of awareness on the psychological and social factors leading to

obesity. The information presented may be used as reference data in testing the

validity of other related findings.

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Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study

This study focus mainly on the level of awareness on the psychological and

social factors that may lead to obesity. With this the study will be dealing with the

respondents’ profile variable such as their age, sex, height and weight. Also, this

study will describe the respondents’ level of awareness on obesity relative to the

psychological and social aspect of a person. This study will also find if there is

significant difference on the level of awareness on the psychological and social

factors that lead to obesity when grouped according to their profile variables.

The study does not require including the other factors that can lead to obesity

such as genetics. Also, this study will not be requiring to know the other medial

history of the respondent’s except to their height and weight.

This study is limited only for the two-hundred ninety seven students (297) from

grades eight (8) to twelve (12) students of Sta. Teresa College. Slovin’s formula

were used to determine the sample population of the Junior High School and

Senior High School students of Sta. Teresa College. This study does not include

the grade seven (7) students because the data of height and weight of grade seven

(7) students are not yet available during the data gathering.

Definition of Terms

For a better understanding of the study, the following words are conceptually

and operationally defined.

Obesity. It is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat

(Mayo Clinic, 2019). In this study the term obesity is used to describe a health

14
condition wherein a person has excess body fat due to some factors such as

psychological and social factors.

Psychological Factor. It is an individual level of processes and meanings that

influence mental states (Upton, 2013). In this study the term psychological factor

is used as to describe a person’s behavior which is triggered from the inner self of

an individual.

Social Factor. It is define as circumstances, characteristics and aspects that

influence and affect the way you live and behave (Shackman, 2014). In this study

the term social factor is used to describe the societal effects can contribute to

obesity.

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of literature and researchers related to the

present study. These have similarities with the present study as they provide ideas

and insights that helped develop the entire study.

Conceptual Literature

The conceptual literature contains cited topics that are relevant to this

research. These topics were taken from different sources that may help in better

understanding of this research paper.

According to Bentz and Collins (2009), obesity is as much a psychological as

a physical problem. Psychological issues can not only foreshadow the

development of obesity, but they can also follow ongoing struggles to control

weight. Because the psychological aspects of obesity are so important,

psychological assessments and interventions have become an integral part of a

multidisciplinary approach to treating obesity. Society views obesity very

negatively and tends to believe that people who are obese are “weak-willed” and

“unmotivated”. Obese individuals are often aware of these negative views, and

internalize them, putting themselves at risk for disorders of mood, anxiety, and

substance abuse. They perceive interpersonal and work-related discrimination,

often suffer from low self-esteem as a result, and feel uncomfortable with their

bodies (i.e. body image dissatisfaction). These feelings may lead to strain on their

intimate and romantic relationships. Psychological issues can not only foreshadow

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the development of obesity, but they can also follow ongoing struggles to control

weight. Obese individuals have typically made multiple attempts to lose weight,

with little or no success. Their failed attempts result in discouragement, frustration,

hopelessness, and learned helplessness about the prospect of losing weight in the

future on their own. Because the psychological aspects of obesity are so important,

psychological assessments and interventions have become an integral part of a

multidisciplinary approach to treating obesity, which includes the use of bariatric

surgery. 20-70% of obese individuals considering bariatric surgery suffer from a

current and/or past psychiatric disorder, of which Major Depressive Disorder is the

most prominent. Not surprisingly, this significant weight loss confers psychological

as well as medical benefits, with improved mood, self-esteem, motivation, and

relationships. A meta-analysis of 40 studies focusing on psychosocial outcomes of

bariatric surgery proposed that psychological health and psychosocial status

including social relationships and employment opportunities improved; and

psychiatric symptoms and comorbidity, predominantly affective disorders,

decreased. These changes led to improved quality of life for the majority who had

weight loss surgery.

In book made by Rossen et al. (2011), reducing the psychological and social

impacts of obesity into a single chapter is a challenge. This is largely due to the

complex interactions among obesity and one’s personality, environment, pre

existing conditions or psychopathology, age, gender, race or ethnicity, geographic

location, and lifestyle, to name a few. Perhaps the greatest challenge is

determining whether a psychosocial concern is a result of obesity, a cause of

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obesity, or simply a factor that correlates by virtue of some external variable. For

example, as you read on, you will see how difficult it is to tease out whether people

become depressed as a result of their obesity and low self-image; if people

experiencing depression tend to overeat and have limited activity, leading to weight

gain; or if some other factor leads to both depression and obesity, such as

underactive thyroid or a history of childhood maltreatment. Therefore, while it’s

important to look at correlations with obesity, it’s also important that we try our best

to interpret them correctly, which means not assuming that one thing causes

another just because they co-occur. So, before we start discussing the history of

the psychological and social impacts of obesity, we’d like to briefly discuss why

correlation does not imply causation.

In an article made by Agawal et al. (2013), it was stated that obesity (body

mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m2) is identified as a major public health challenge of the

21st century across the globe. Currently, an estimated 205 million men and 297

million women over the age of 20 were obese a total of more than half a billion

adults worldwide. Even in countries like India, which are typically known for high

prevalence of under nutrition, a significant proportion of overweight and obese

people now coexists with those who are undernourished. Therefore, in the light of

the increasing population weights, it is worthwhile to know how far the population

is aware of the causes, consequences of obesity and the remedies taken by the

people to avoid obesity or to reduce weight, more specifically among adult women

in India who are the sufferer of largest weight gain as compared to men. In spite

of the numerous chronic diseases that have been linked to obesity, studies

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focusing on the level of community awareness, health hazards and strategies to

prevent and control of obesity are lacking in the literature, especially in developing

countries such as India, where obesity is culturally acknowledged and nurtured.

Awareness of any public health disease helps in prevention and in proper action

to be initiated. Obesity is known to increase the risk of various diseases and

awareness of them is the first step towards taking steps to prevent this. The level

of awareness about causes, consequences and preventive measures of obesity is

still, to a greater extent, low particularly among women in India and confined to

very few individuals affiliated with the health field. The determination of level of

awareness among women is therefore an important step to the development of

useful interventions intended to lessen this health problem. It investigate the

awareness of women regarding causes and consequences of obesity and the

preventive measures to tackle the problem of weight gain among normal weight,

overweight and obese women in a community based follow-up study in the national

capital territory of Delhi, representing urban India.

According to the article of Stein (2014), a dramatic increase in childhood

overweight/obesity has been recognized globally over the past 50 years. This

observed increase may reflect genetic, as well as psychological, environmental,

and socio-cultural influences. The investigation of the psychosocial aspects of

childhood overweight/obesity has been the focus of long-standing theoretical and

empirical endeavors. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present the main

psychosocial factors associated with increased risk for overweight and/or obesity

in children and adolescents and to summarize the psychosocial-related strategies

19
for prevention. In addition, age, gender, and cultural background are considered

as particularly influential in the recent dramatic rise in childhood

overweight/obesity. These factors have been shown to be particularly relevant in

very young children, as young as two years old , females and minority groups. For

example, African-American female adolescents are at greater risk for becoming

overweight and obese compared to African-American male adolescents and other

minority groups.

According to an article by Sahoo et al. (2015), childhood obesity has reached

epidemic levels in developed as well as in developing countries. Overweight and

obesity are known to be one of the most serious public health challenges of the

21st century. Although definition of obesity and overweight has changed over time,

it can be defined as an excess of body fat. In addition to being implicated in

numerous medical concerns, obesity affects children’s and adolescent’s physical

health, social, and emotional well-being, and self esteem. It is also associated with

poor academic performance and a lower quality of life experienced by the child.

Socio-cultural factors have also been found to influence the development of

obesity. Our society tends to use food as a reward, as a means to control others,

and as part of socializing. With this, it increases the increasing risk of developing

obesity. Overweight and obese people are often teased and/or bullied for their

weight. They also face numerous other hardships including negative stereotypes,

discrimination, and social marginalization. They are often excluded from activities,

particularly competitive activities that require physical activity. These negative

social problems contribute to low self esteem, low self confidence, and a negative

20
body image in children. The social consequences of obesity may contribute to

continuing difficulty in weight management. Overweight children tend to protect

themselves from negative comments and attitudes by retreating to safe places,

such as their homes, where they may seek food as a comfort. In addition, they

tend to have fewer friends than normal weight children, which results in less social

interaction and play, and more time spent in sedentary activities. As

aforementioned, physical activity is often more difficult for overweight and obese

children as they tend to get shortness of breath and often have a hard time keeping

up with their peers. This in turn inevitably results in weight gain, as the amount of

calories consumed exceeds the amount of energy burned.

In an article by Harrist et al. (2017), their research team used an interpersonal

and intrapersonal risk model to examine the psychosocial aspects of obesity

among rural children. Researchers and policymakers have recognized that obesity

in childhood is not simply a medical problem, but is a complex social and

psychological phenomenon. In the mid 2000s, research on children’s obesity

reached a turning point. Previously, research into human factors in children’s

obesity focused primarily on variables related to food and activity such as

unhealthy eating. At the same time, public health experts identified the need for

more transdisciplinary research to understand complex problems like childhood

obesity. Interdisciplinary studies of children’s obesity began to be funded and

publications increasingly began to consider psychological, emotional, and

interpersonal process variables. Specifically, we began to address questions using

developmental and family science methods for considering parent and peer

21
variables related to obesity in childhood, and we did so with a large community

sample, not a clinical sample. Next, we illustrate how investigating children’s

obesity through such a lens can produce novel insights.

In the article of American Psychological Association (2019), it was stated that

the causes of obesity are rarely limited to genetic factors, prolonged overeating or

a sedentary lifestyle. What we do and don't do often results from how we think and

feel. For example, feelings of sadness, anxiety or stress often lead people to eat

more than usual. Unless you act to address these emotions, however, these short-

term coping strategies can lead to long-term problems. Obesity is also frequently

accompanied by depression and the two can trigger and influence each other.

Although women are slightly more at risk for having an unhealthy BMI than men,

they are much more vulnerable to the obesity-depression cycle. In one study,

obesity in women was associated with a 37 percent increase in major depression.

There is also a strong relationship between women with a high BMI and more

frequent thoughts of suicide. Depression can both cause and result from stress,

which, in turn, may cause you to change your eating and activity habits. Many

people who have difficulty recovering from sudden or emotionally draining events

(e.g., loss of a close friend or family member, relationship difficulties, losing a job

or facing a serious medical problem) unknowingly begin eating too much of the

wrong foods or forgoing exercise. Before long, these become habits and difficult

to change.

According to an article by Mayo Clinic (2019), obesity is diagnosed when your

body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. Although there are genetic, behavioral,

22
metabolic and hormonal influences on body weight, obesity occurs when you take

in more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your

body stores these excess calories as fat. Obesity usually results from a

combination of causes and contributing factors it is family inheritance and

influences, lifestyle choices, certain diseases and medications, social and

economic issues, and age. Even if you have one or more of these risk factors, it

doesn't mean that you're destined to develop obesity. You can counteract most

risk factors through diet, physical activity and exercise, and behavior changes.

According to Lee et al. (2019), the evidence for social and environmental

factors that contribute to obesity are often underappreciated. Obesity prevalence

is significantly associated with sex, racial ethnic identity, and socioeconomic

status, which creates complex relationships between each of these characteristics.

Food availability remains an important factor associated with obesity that relates

to differences in prevalence seen across geographical areas and higher rates of

obesity within low socioeconomic status individuals. Proliferation of high calorie,

energy dense food options that are or perceived as more affordable combined with

reductions in occupational and transportation related physical activity can

contribute to a sustained positive energy balance. Additionally, environments

experiencing deprivation, disorder, or high crime have been shown to be

associated with higher odds of obesity, which may appear more frequently in low

social status individuals. Both objective and subjective measures of social status

and inequality are associated with increased energy intake and decreased energy

expenditure, which could place individuals of low social status at greater risk for

23
obesity development. Given the complexity of this multifactorial disease, effective

obesity care requires knowledge of these complex relationships and an integration

between the health systems and surrounding community. Resources for practicing

clinicians regarding methods of screening for social and environmental factors in

clinical care are provided in addition to information on a program that has been

widely dispersed and made accessible to those who may be the most at risk.

American Psychological Association (2019) stated that obesity is also

frequently accompanied by depression and the two can trigger and influence each

other. Although women are slightly more at risk for having an unhealthy BMI than

men, they are much more vulnerable to the obesity-depression cycle. In one study,

obesity in women was associated with a 37 percent increase in major depression.

There is also a strong relationship between women with a high BMI and more

frequent thoughts of suicide. Depression can both cause and result from stress,

which, in turn, may cause you to change your eating and activity habits. Many

people who have difficulty recovering from sudden or emotionally draining events

(e.g., loss of a close friend or family member, relationship difficulties, losing a job

or facing a serious medical problem) unknowingly begin eating too much of the

wrong foods or forgoing exercise. Before long, these become habits and difficult

to change. Binge eating, a behavior associated with both obesity and other

conditions such as anorexia nervosa, is also a symptom of depression. A study of

obese people with binge eating problems found that 51 percent also had a history

of major depression. Additional research shows that obese women with binge-

eating disorder who experienced teasing about their appearance later developed

24
body dissatisfaction and depression. The causes of obesity are rarely limited to

genetic factors, prolonged overeating or a sedentary lifestyle. What we do and

don't do often results from how we think and feel. For example, feelings of sadness,

anxiety or stress often lead people to eat more than usual. Unless you act to

address these emotions, however, these short-term coping strategies can lead to

long-term problems.

Research Literature

This part presents the studies that are somehow related to the present study.

According to Crawford et al. (2003), overweight and obesity increase risk of

morbidity and/or mortality from a number of chronic conditions including

noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hypertension,

hyperlipidaemia, osteoarthritis and certain cancers. In many Western countries,

overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions, and now pose a

significant threat to the health of populations throughout the world. Substantial

evidence demonstrates that the prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically

over the past several decades. Evidence suggests that obesity is socially

distributed, with certain social groups at increased risk. Substantial evidence

demonstrates an inverse relation between social class and body weight and risk

of obesity among women, and less consistently among men in industrialized

countries. Other sociodemographic factors are also known to be associated with

overweight.

25
 In the study of Nyaruhucha (2003), one hundred adults aged 19-50 years old

and 40 pupils aged 14-18 years old were included in his study. The four institutions

included a primary and a secondary school, a teacher's training college and a

university. The prevalence of obesity among the sampled subjects in Morogoro

Municipality was 25 %, whereby 15.7% had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between

25 and 30, and 9.3% had a BMI of more than 30. Age and occupation of all the

subjects, together with marital status of adult subjects, were significantly related

with obesity status. Prevalence of obesity increased with the increased age

whereby subjects in the 41-50 years had the highest rate (45.4%). Employed

subjects had higher rate of obesity (22.2%) than pupils or students. Similarly,

married adults had higher rate of obesity (27.8%) than the single ones (4.7%).

Unlike the old age group (41-50 years), 70% of the youngest subjects were not

aware about the harmful effects of obesity. On the other hand, more than two thirds

of all the subjects could not associate excess body weight with chronic non-

communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and

breathing problems. Results of the current study indicate that obesity is

increasingly becoming a public health problem in Morogoro Municipality, and

probably in many other places in Tanzania. There is need for more public

awareness on the effect of obesity on people's health through information,

education and communication. It would be of great importance if such interventions

were introduced at early age of life.

According to the study of Rohrer and Rohland (2004) where they investigated

the relationship between obesity and different sources of personal stress, mental

26
health, exercise, and demographic characteristics, the reasons why large families

increase the risk of obesity are not entirely clear. One obvious mechanism is that,

since women traditionally prepare meals, they may have more frequent

opportunities to consume food and households with large families are more likely

to have greater volumes of food available. Many variables may influence eating

behavior and therefore may also influence obesity, including depression, anxiety,

stress, social support, race, ethnicity, education and income. While the national

media and federal websites emphasize the importance of physical activity in

controlling body weight, exercise alone is not effective for this purpose.

The study of Marten (2005) explored the structural community adversity,

family, and individual factors as potential risks of poor parental and adolescent

physical health. Here, he stated that poor physical health among adolescents,

specifically obesity, in turn may lead to educational, economic, and social

disadvantages as adolescents become young adults. Community and family

disadvantages uniquely influence the risk of poor general physical health among

parents. Poor parental general health in turn is associated with adolescent obesity.

Structural community adversity, family, and individual level influences on parental

physical health and adolescent obesity emphasize the need for intervention

programs to support disadvantaged youth and their families. In addition to

exploring factors that influence adolescent obesity, results indicate that being

obese/overweight during adolescence has a detrimental influence on a wide range

of non-physical life domains. Obese/overweight adolescents are at an increased

risk for a lower level of educational attainment and involvement in early sexual

27
activities than normal weight adolescents. In addition, obese/overweight

adolescents have higher levels of economic hardship and depressive symptoms

in young adulthood. However, results indicate that the influence of adolescent

obesity/overweight is moderated by gender.

In the study of Ojofeitim et al (2007), two hundred and thirty six women

between the ages of 25 and 59 were contacted within Obafemi Awolowo University

Community Ile-Ife, to assess their levels of awareness on the benefits and hazards

of obesity. The study also attempted to classify the degree of obesity among the

respondents by employing Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip-Ratio (WHR)

techniques. Of the 236 respondents, 76.7% were grouped under low level of

awareness on the health hazards of obesity. The levels of awareness on obesity

by educational background and occupation of respondents were significantly

related at P-value = 0.0003, and P-value = 0.0004 respectively. WHR technique

significantly identified more respondents to be overweight and severely obese than

BMI technique, P-value = 0.0000. As the age increased, the degree of obesity

increased, P-value = 0.001. Respect and evidence of good living were two major

reasons advanced as some of the perception of being obese. Health workers

should receive training in the simple techniques of identifying, monitoring the

degree of obesity and mounting intensive mass campaign on health hazards of

obesity. The impact of primary health care services on the prevention of non

communicable chronic diseases in the new millennium may continue to be

unsatisfactory. Particularly in the developing countries where excess body weight

is culturally accepted. There is a dire need to establish a health nutritional program

28
for the control and prevention of obesity focusing on limitation of excessive energy

intake from any source.

According to Sifferlin (2015), moving to a poor neighborhood can cause weight

gain because where we live may influence how much we weight even more than

we once thought. It’s long been known that a person’s neighborhood can impact

how much they weigh; evidence suggests that socioeconomic environments

influence a person’s ability to adopt healthy behaviors. Now, a new study suggests

that moving between neighborhoods can also cause changes in body weight. The

research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, analyzed a

sample of more than 1,000 Dallas County residents between the ages of 18 and

65 who researchers had followed for seven years. The study found that people

who moved to more socioeconomically depressed neighborhoods gained

weight.The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that living environments can

encourage obesity and interfere with an unhealthy lifestyle; a lack of sidewalks and

safe parks, a glut of fast-food restaurants with little access to fruits and vegetables,

heavy food advertising and long work hours of residents all contribute. Prior

research has shown that kids who live in places where they can walk to school or

libraries were significantly less likely to be obese. And a 2011 study found that

families who moved to less-impoverished neighborhoods had lower levels of

obesity and diabetes compared to families who stayed in their original

neighborhood.

In the study conducted by Altuntas (2015), they investigated the association

between psychosocial factors and general and abdominal obesity in the

29
Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiologic. Here, they stated that Psychosocial stress

has been proposed to contribute to obesity, particularly abdominal, or central

obesity, through chronic activation of the neuroendocrine systems. However, these

putative relationships are complex and dependent on country and cultural context.

This observational, cross-sectional study enrolled 151 966 individuals aged 35–70

years from 628 urban and rural communities in 17 high-, middle- and low-income

countries. Data were collected for 125 290 individuals regarding education,

anthropometrics, hypertension/diabetes, tobacco/alcohol use, diet and

psychosocial factors (self-perceived stress and depression). Results have shown

that although individuals with permanent stress tended to be slightly more obese,

there was no overall independent effect and no evidence that abdominal obesity

or its consequences (hypertension, diabetes) increased with higher levels of stress

or depression. This study does not support a causal link between psychosocial

factors and abdominal obesity.

The study of Mustafa et. al (2016) investigated obesity awareness stage of 8th

class students in secondary school who entered TEOG examination organized by

Ministry of National Education in terms of different variables. The research was

carried out with 268 male and 232 female students. it was determined that average

of obesity awareness total grade obtained from the scale was 58.28, average of

obesity awareness sub-dimension grade was 23.29, average of nutrition sub-

dimension grade 18.29 and average of physical sub-dimension grade was 13.58.

it was found that average of obesity awareness grades for female students was

23.16, nutrition sub-dimension grade was 18.27, physical sub-dimension grade

30
was 13.78. Average of obesity awareness grades for male students was 23.39,

average of nutrition sub-dimension grade was 18.31, average of physical sub-

dimension grade was 13.40. A significant difference was not found between

gender together with obesity awareness total grade and sub-dimensions With this

results, it simply indicated that age and gender of secondary school students did

not affect obesity awareness. Moreover, it was observed that female students had

better physical fitness than male students when body mass index calculations were

taken into consideration. Obesity awareness total grade and nutrition dimension of

students whose parents had a habit of doing sports was more positively affected

than those whose parents did not have a habit of doing sports.

In the study conducted by Alasmari et. al (2017), they aim of this to assess

obesity awareness and knowledge among intermediate and high schools students

using a reliable and validated scale, the obesity risk knowledge (ORK-10) scale

[14]. They included intermediate and high school students, aged 12 - 18 years,

who were willing to participate in the study. Each student’s height and weight were

measured by the researchers and BMI was calculated. BMI was categorized as

follows: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal (BMI 18.5 ≤ 24.9 kg/m2),

overweight (BMI 25 ≤ 30 kg/m2), and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). After gathering

datas, they have found out that awareness levels about the risks associated with

obesity are considered to be insufficient. Media are not viewing the obesity-related

health problems as suggested by the available evidence. Previous studies have

demonstrated that in different developed countries, the majority of persons reveal

limited data concerning obesity co-morbidities and the knowledge is even less

31
when asking about obesity as a known risk factor for cancer. The result of this

study showed that only 25.4% of the participating students were considered to be

aware about obesity according to the ORK-10 scale results. Older males who were

attending high school were more likely to be aware and were more likely to

consider obesity to be a disease. The aware students were more likely to eat

breakfast daily and at home, but they were also more likely to be active smokers

and eat fast food more frequently. A previous study showed that eating meals with

a family every day is associated with a lower rate of obesity and maintaining a

healthy lifestyle habit. Moreover, the study also mentioned about a recent study

used the ORK-10 scale to assess the obesity awareness level among nursing,

dietetic, and medical students, and the results showed that the awareness level in

each group is positively correlated with the year of the training, and that dietetic

students scored the highest using the ORK-10 scale.

In the study of Conneely et al (2017), they have explored psychological factors

associated with emotional eating and obesity in a sample of overweight and obese

adults attending a weight management programme. A cross-sectional quantitative

research design. Participants (n = 97) completed the Emotional Eating Subscale

of the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, the Attitude towards Emotional

Expression (AEE) scale and the mindful awareness observe subscale of the

Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills scale. Clinical measures of body mass

index (BMI) were also recorded. Regression analyses revealed that AEE was a

significant predictor of emotional eating. Control, the belief that emotions should

be controlled and the response to eat to diffuse emotion were statistically

32
significant predictors of BMI. Mediation analyses revealed that mindful awareness

skills had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between AEE and

emotional eating. Findings highlight the influence of AEE on emotional eating and

body weight, thereby helping to validate recent developments in an affect phobia

model of emotional eating. The authors highlight the prevalence of emotional

eating in overweight and obese adults.

The study made by Ryff and Krueger (2018) discussed the rates of

contemporary obesity that vary by age, sex, race, socioeconimc status and those

with greater economic resources to be overweight or obese. The study showed

that roughly 30% adults in America are currently obese, with a BMI of 30 or higher,

and roughly 60% are classified as either overweight or obese, with a BMI of 25 or

higher. The study explored the extent to which BMI affects multiple dimensions of

psychological well-being. Researchers found a strong association between BMI

and self-acceptance. They also examined whether two indicators of mood, positive

and negative affect, were linked to body weight and determined that it is a strong

gradient where higher BMI was associated with significantly more frequent

negative and less frequent positive affect. Moreover, the researchers also have

investigated the relationship between BMI category and both positive and negative

aspects of one’s relationship with family, friends, coworkers, and spouse. They

found no significant differences across the BMI categories with respect to the

quality of relationship with friends, coworkers and spouse. The researchers

attributed these patterns to the fact that these relationships are largely voluntary;

people tend to choose friends, spouses, and (to a lesser extent) coworkers with

33
whom they have important attributes in common, including lifestyle choices and

physical attractiveness.

Synthesis

The different studies and review of literature helped the researchers in

widening their knowledge about the present study.

The study of Nyaruhucha (2003) is relevant to study as it also investigated

students aged fourteen (14) to eighteen (18) years old. The study also made

known of the respondents’ Body Mass Index (BMI). The results of the study is

somehow related also to the present study for it discusses that the youngest

subjects compare to the old aged group were said to be unaware of obesity.

However, the study only focuses on being unaware on the effects of obesity which

is not the main focus of the present study. Lastly, the result of the study also

suggest that there is a need in raising public awareness about obesity which is one

of goal of the present study.

The study made by Crawford et al. (2003) is similar to the present study for it

both discusses that obesity can increase the risk of some chronic conditions

including diabetes and heart diseases. Evidences of this study are also related to

present study as it suggest that obesity is socially distributed and other

sociodemographic factors are also known to be associated with overweight. The

said study and the study of Rohrer and Rohland (2004) both demonstrates that

there is a great risk of obesity among women rather than men which is relevant to

34
the present study for it also shows that gender as one of the social factor could

influence or contribute to obesity.

The result of the study made by Rohrer and Rohland (2004) and the present

study are relevant for it both show the social and psychological variables that can

influence one’s eating behavior such as depression, anxiety, stress, social support,

race, ethnicity, education and income. However, this study is in contrast to the

present study as it also includes the relationship between obesity and the different

sources of personal stress and mental health which are not being emphasized in

the present study.

The study of Ojofeitim et al. (2007) is relevant to the study for it both assessed

the respondents’ level of awareness on obesity. However, this study focused on

the level of awareness on the benefits and hazards of obesity unlike the present

study which focused on the level of awareness on the psychological and social

factors leading to obesity. Their study also suggests that there is a need to

establish a health nutritional program for the control and prevention of obesity

which is also one of the main goal of the present study.

Marten’s (2015) study is related to the present study as it both concerned

obesity among adolescents which may have negative effects and disadvantages

as they become young adults. Also, it was stated that poor parental health is

associated with adolescents’ obesity which is considered to be as one of the social

factors leading to obesity in the present study. However, the study also discusses

the possible risk an obese adolescent can do which are not included in the present

study.

35
 The study of Sifferlin (2015) is related to the study for its evidences suggest

that socioeconomic environements influence a person’s ability to adopt healthy

behaviors such as moving between neighborhoods which can cause weight gain.

The study also tackles about other social factors that could contribute obesity.

While the study of Sifferlin (2015) focused on the social factors that can lead to

obesity, the study of Altuntas (2015) focused on the psychological factors leading

to obesity such as the psychological stress which is also being discussed in the

present study.

The study of Mustafa et al. (2016) is highly relevant to the present study as it

both investegated the obesity awareness in secondary school. The study also tried

to find the significant difference on the gender together with obesity awareness

which will also be done in the present study. However, this study also tackles about

the student’s parents in connection with sports which is not being tackled in the

present study.

The study conducted by Alasmari et al. (2017) is relevant to present study as

it both assessed the level of awareness on obesity. However, this study focuses

on the risk associated with obesity and not on the psychological and social factors

leading to it. The respondents of the said study were also students which is the

same as the present study. The study also insist that becoming more aware of

obesity can make students eat in their homes which lower the rate of obesity. This

is somehow related to the present study as it also aims to show the importance of

being fully aware about obesity.

36
 The study made by Conneely et al. (2017) and the present study is somehow

related for it both assess the awareness of the respondents and its relation to

emotional eating. However, the difference of this study to the present study is that

the chosen respondents were overweight and obese. Also, this study made use of

the Attitude towards Emotional Expression (AEE) scale which are not used in the

present study.

The study made by Ryff and Krueger (2018) is relevant to the present study

for it also tackles some social factors that can lead to obesity such as age, sex,

race and socioeconomic status. However, this study also examined whether two

indicators of mood which are not discussed in the present study. It also examined

the significant difference across the BMI with respect to the quality of relationship

with friends, coworkers and spouse which were not done in the present study.

37
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology which includes the research

design, respondents of the study, data gathering instrument, data gathering

procedure and statistical treatment that will be used in drawing conclusions from

the gathered data in this study.

Research Design

In order to see the general picture of the psychological and social factors

leading to obesity, the descriptive method was used. It allowed the researchers to

carefully describe and understand the facts about the factors leading to obesity.

Descriptive method is a technique that aimed at casting light on current issues or

problems through a process of data collection that enables them to describe the

situation more completely than was possible without employing this method.

Descriptive research explores and explains an individual, group or a

situation, it also describes characteristics and functions in where its overall design

is rigid and the research process structured. It is a type of conclusive research

study which is concerned with describing the characteristics of a particular

individual or group. It includes research related to specific predictions, features or

functions of person or group, the narration of facts. These descriptive research

aims at obtaining complete and accurate information for the study, the method

adopted must be carefully planned in where they should precisely define what they

want to measure, how does they want to measure it and should clearly define the

38
population under the study. It uses methods like quantitative analysis of secondary

data, surveys, panels, observations, interviews, questionnaires, and many more.

Descriptive research concentrates on formulating the research objective,

designing methods for the collection of data, selection of the sample, data

collection, processing, and analysis, reporting the results. Conversely, descriptive

research is a comparative design which is prepared according to the study and

resources available. Such study minimizes bias and maximizes reliability (Surbhi,

2016).

This research method helped the researchers in obtaining the accurate

result because it will support the methods by the researchers in conducting the

study.

Respondents of the Study

Cited in this section is the group of individuals who participated as the

respondents of the study and who helped in the collection of the needed data.

Two hundred ninety-seven (297) randomly selected students from grade 8

to grade 12 of Sta. Teresa College served as the respondents of the study. This

was the number of the respondents obtained in using the Slovin’s formula after

getting the population mean of the high school students of Sta. Teresa College.

The students from grade 8 to grade 12 were chosen as the respondents of the

study as the researchers needed to identify the level of awareness of the

adolescents about the psychological and social factors leading to obesity and how

to prevent this health issue as early as their age. Grade 7 students were not part

39
of the respondents as the researchers are limited to gather their information such

as height and weight. In addition, the researchers made use of the data which

consists of the height and weight of grade 7 to grade 11 students of the academic

year 2018 to 2019 given by the school clinic. This was also done with the

permission of the basic education principal and the nurses. Moreover, the data is

needed and has been used for the interval of the questionnaire.

The chosen respondents respond to the specific purpose that a certain

individual can offer to the researcher in order to answer the much-needed

questions to accomplish the study about the psychological and social factors

leading to obesity. A self-ministered survey questionnaire in a checklist format was

given to the respondents to answer.

Data Gathering Instruments

The researchers made use of questionnaire as the main instruments in

gathering data for the present research study.

The questionnaire is in a checklist format. On the first part, the researchers

include questions which determine the profile of the respondents such as grade

level, sex, height and weight. The second part contains two (2) tables. Each table

is comprise of ten (10) psychological and social factors which tested the level of

awareness of the respondents on these factors leading to obesity.

Before distributing the questionnaires, the researchers presented it to the

research teacher for content confirmation. Corrections, comments and

suggestions will be highly considered. After the confirmation, the researchers also

40
presented the questionnaire together with the letter and the statement of the

problem to the statistician and to the persons involved in the board of panel.

In determining the level of the variables, the following scales were used:

Scale Verbal Interpretation

4 Highly Aware

3 Moderately Aware

2 Slightly Aware

1 Not Aware

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers made use of a questionnaire to gather data and

information about the psychological and social factors leading to obesity. After

incorporating all the comments and suggestion given by the research teacher,

statistician and panel members, the researchers revised the questionnaire. After

the revision, the researchers asked for the permission of the basic education

principal to conduct a study from grade 8 to grade 12. This was followed by the

distribution of the questionnaire to 11 randomly selected students per section from

grades 8 to 12 of Sta. Teresa College. While distributing, the researchers also

explained that all questions must have an answer in order for the study to obtain

the accurate result. Through the questionnaire, the respondents can give some

information about the factors that lead to obesity. The researchers gave much time

for the respondents to answer the questionnaire. After the time allotted, the

researchers then collected the questionnaire to the class president of each class.

41
 The questionnaire has been retrieved from the respondents and has been

tabulated, analyzed and interpret by the researchers. It was immediately done in

order to ensure the retrieval and to avoid misplacing of the results.

Statistical Treatment of Data

After collecting the data from the respondents, the researchers will tally,

tabulate and analyze the data. The researchers will make use of various statistical

techniques and will utilize tables for the illustration of data. The following will be

subjected to the statistical procedures:

One-way Anova. This is a one-way analysis of variance that was used to

determine whether there are any statistically significant differences between the

means of the respondents‟ profile variables.

Frequency. This will be used to determine the number of responses for each

item in the questionnaire. This will determine the positional distribution of the

respondents with regards to their profile variables of age, sex, BMI and the

frequency of them dining out.

Weighted Mean. This will be used to determine the typicality of the

responses chosen from the options using a 4-point scale to quantify and assess

the level of awareness of the respondents regarding the psychological and social

factors leading to obesity.

t-test. This formula and equation will be used to determine whether a

significant difference exists between the level of assessment of the respondents

on the factors leading to obesity when grouped according to their profile. It will also

42
be used in analyzing, interpreting, and presenting the gathered data from the

questionnaires and in evaluating whether the means of the groups are statistically

different from each other.

43
 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data

that have been gathered from the interview conducted by the researchers and

questionnaires distributed to the respondents.

1. Profile of Respondents

This section presents the total number of respondents when grouped

according to the given profile variables: grade level, sex, height and weight.

1.1 Grade Level

Table 1
Profile of Respondents in terms of Grade Level
Grade Level Frequency Percentage
8 53 17.85
9 61 20.54
10 72 24.24
11 51 17.17
12 60 20.20
Total 297 100

Table 1 presents the profile of respondents in terms of grade level. It depicts

that among the grade levels, grade 10 has the highest frequency of seventy-two

(72) comprising the 24.24% of the population. On the other hand, there were sixty-

one (61) grade 9 students representing the 20.54% and sixty (60) grade 12

students representing the 20.20%. While grade 8 has frequency of fifty-three (53)

with a percentage of 17.85%, grade 11 has frequency of fifty-one (51) with a

percentage of 17.17%.

44
 According to Alasmari et al. (2017), they aim of this to assess obesity

awareness and knowledge among intermediate and high schools students using

a reliable and validated scale, the obesity risk knowledge (ORK-10) scale. They

included intermediate and high school students, aged 12-18 years, who were

willing to participate in the study.

1.2 Sex
Table 2
Profile of Respondents in terms of Sex
Sex Frequency Percentage
Male 117 39.39
Female 180 60.61
Total 297 100

Presented in table 2 is the profile of respondents in terms of sex. It shows that

there are more females with a frequency of one hundred eighty (180) and a

percentage of 60.61% than males with a frequency of one hundred seventeen

(117) and a percentage of 39.39%. This is a normal occurrence in most classes

wherein the number of female students are greater than the number of male

students.

An article of Stein (2014) presents the main psychosocial factors associated

with increased risk for overweight and/or obesity in children and adolescents and

to summarize the psychosocial-related strategies for prevention. In addition, age,

gender, and cultural background are considered as particularly influential in the

recent dramatic rise in childhood overweight/obesity.

45
1.3 Height
Table 3
Profile of Respondents in terms of Height
Height (in cm) Frequency Percentage

131-135 5 1.68
136-140 11 3.70
141-145 27 9.10
146-150 50 16.84
151-155 62 20.88
156-160 55 18.52
161-165 35 11.78
166-170 25 8.42
171-175 15 5.10
176-180 8 2.69
181-185 4 1.35
Total 297 100

Table 3 depicts the height of grades 8 to 12 students of Sta. Teresa College. It

shows the frequency and percentage of the gathered data. Out of 297 students,

62 students has the highest frequency with the percentage of 18.52%. It means

that 62 students has a height of 155-160 cm. On the other hand, 4 students is the

lowest frequency and it has the average of 1.35%. This means that, in grades 8 to

12, only 4 students has a height of 181-185 cm.

In the study conducted by Alasmari et al. (2017), they aim of this to assess

obesity awareness and knowledge among intermediate and high schools students

using a reliable and validated scale, the obesity risk knowledge (ORK-10) scale

[14]. They included intermediate and high school students, aged 12 - 18 years,

who were willing to participate in the study. Each student’s height and weight were

46
measured by the researchers and BMI was calculated. BMI was categorized as

follows: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal (BMI 18.5 ≤ 24.9 kg/m2),

overweight (BMI 25 ≤ 30 kg/m2), and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2).

1.4 Weight
Table 4
Profile of Respondents in terms of Weight
Weight (in kg) Frequency Percentage
26-30 0 0
31-35 14 4.71
36-40 37 12.46
41-45 64 21.55
46-50 39 13.13
51-55 55 18.52
56-60 40 13.47
61-65 16 5.39
66-70 8 2.69
71-75 16 5.39
76-80 6 2.02
81-85 1 0.34
86-90 0 0
91-95 1 0.34
96-100 0 0
101-105 0 0
106-110 0 0
111-115 0 0
Total 297 100
The table depicts the weight of grades 8 to 12 students of Sta. Teresa

College. It shows the frequency and percentage of the gathered data. Out of 297

students, 64 students has the highest frequency with the percentage of 21.55%. It

means that 64 students has the weight of 41-45 kg. On the other hand, 1 student

has the lowest frequency and it has the percentage of 0.34%. This means that, in

grades 8 to 12, only 1 student has a weight of 91-95 kg.

47
 In an article made by Agawal et al. (2013), it was stated that obesity (body

mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m2) is identified as a major public health challenge of the

21st century across the globe. Currently, an estimated 205 million men and 297

million women over the age of 20 were obese a total of more than half a billion

adults worldwide. Even in countries like India, which are typically known for high

prevalence of under nutrition, a significant proportion of overweight and obese

people now coexists with those who are undernourished.

2. Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity

This section presents the level of awareness of the respondents on the

psychological and social factors that can lead to obesity.

2.1 Psychological Factors

Table 5
Level of Awareness on the Psychological Factors Leading to Obesity

Psychological factors Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation

Unhealthy eating 3.36 Moderately Aware
Overeating 3.26 Moderately Aware
Stress 3.17 Moderately Aware
Depression/Anxiety 3.02 Moderately Aware
Feeling of sadness 3.02 Moderately Aware
Too much sleep 2.94 Moderately Aware
Boredom 2.82 Moderately Aware
Mood disturbance 2.28 Slightly Aware
Alcohol Intake 2.27 Slightly Aware
Frustration 2.18 Slightly Aware
Composite Mean 2.83 Moderately Aware

Table 5 shows the level of awareness of the high school students of Sta.

Teresa College on the psychological factors leading to obesity.

48
 The high school students of Sta. Teresa College is moderately aware that

unhealthy eating is one of the factors which leads a person to obesity with 3.36

weighted mean. In addition, the students are also moderately aware that

overeating is another factor of the said health issue with 3.26 weighted mean of

the response. The respondents also counted stress as one of the psychological

factors with a weighted mean of 3.17 and was interpreted that the respondents are

moderately aware of it. The students are also moderately aware that

depression/anxiety, feeling of sadness, too much sleep and boredom are also

factors that can contribute to weight gain. The study contained 3.02 weighted mean

for both depression/anxiety and feeling of sadness as factors which lead to obesity

while 2.94 and 3.17 weighted mean on the remaining factors. Contrasting to these,

the respondents are only slightly aware, giving 2.28 weighted mean, that the mood

disturbance is also an aspect of the factors leading to obesity. The students are

also barely/slightly aware on the two psychological factors, which are alcohol

intake giving a weighted mean of 2.27 and frustration with 2.18 weighted mean

from the response. Overall, most of the high school students of Sta. Teresa

College are moderately aware of the stated psychological factors leading to obesity

with a composite mean of 2.83.

In an article by Harrist et al. (2017), their research team used an interpersonal

and intrapersonal risk model to examine the psychosocial aspects of obesity

among rural children. Researchers and policymakers have recognized that obesity

in childhood is not simply a medical problem, but is a complex social and

psychological phenomenon. In the mid 2000s, research on children’s obesity

49
reached a turning point. Previously, research into human factors in children’s

obesity focused primarily on variables related to food and activity such as

unhealthy eating. At the same time, public health experts identified the need for

more transdisciplinary research to understand complex problems like childhood

obesity. Interdisciplinary studies of children’s obesity began to be funded and

publications increasingly began to consider psychological, emotional, and

interpersonal process variables. Specifically, we began to address questions using

developmental and family science methods for considering parent and peer

variables related to obesity in childhood, and we did so with a large community

sample, not a clinical sample.

2.2 Social Factors

Table 6
Level of Awareness on the Social Factors Leading to Obesity

Social Factors Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation

Lifestyle choices 3.35 Moderately Aware
Use of food as a part of socializing 3.10 Moderately Aware
Parental feeding practices 3.05 Moderately Aware
Use of food as a reward or to 3.03 Moderately Aware
control others
Geographic location 2.66 Moderately Aware
Socio-economic status 2.61 Moderately Aware
Gender Influences 2.60 Moderately Aware
Neighborhood 2.36 Slightly Aware
Peers influence 2.07 Slightly Aware
Diseases and medications 1.82 Slightly Aware
Composite Mean 2.66 Moderately Aware

Table 6 shows the level of awareness of the grades eight (8) to twelve (12)

students of Sta. Teresa College on the social factors that can lead to obesity. It

50
also shows that the respondents in general are moderately aware on the social

factors that can lead to obesity.

Among all the social factors, the lifestyle choices has the highest weighted

mean of 3.35. The respondents moderately aware that lifestyle choices can

contribute to obesity. These lifestyle choices are the ways of how people live such

as their frequency of eating everyday. Second to the highest weighted mean is

3.10 which is the social factor of using food as a part of socializing. This simply

means that the respondents are also moderately aware that the use of food when

socializing such as meeting up with friends or having events with relatives can be

a cause of obesity when done frequently. The respondents are also moderately

aware about parental feeding practices being as one of the social factors that can

lead to obesity with a weighted mean of 3.05. This means that in general, the

respondents have the knowledge that parents can greatly influence the way a

person eat which probably lead to obesity when these feeding practices is

negative. Using of food as a reward or to control others are also a factor that and

lead to be obesity which the respondents are moderately aware with a weighted

mean of 3.03. From this, it can be said that the respondents see this factor as one

of a contributor of obesity. Other social factor that the respondents are moderately

aware is the geographic location with a mean of 2.66. With this, it can be concluded

that the students are also knowledgeable that location also matters when it comes

to our health. An example is those who live in a place where there are lots of fast

food restaurants who are more likely to eat there rather than those who are far

from it. The respondents are also moderately aware on the socio economic status

51
as a social factor that can lead to obesity. This means that they also see the status

in life as one that affects our health. The result on the table also shows that the

respondents are moderately aware that gender influences can also lead to obesity.

On the other hand, out of ten (10) social factors, there are three (3) of it which

the respondents are only slightly aware of. One of these is the neighborhood which

has a mean of 2.36. This means that the respondents are not that knowledgeable

that their neighbors can also affect their health in such a way that if there are lots

of events in their neighborhood and they are always invited, they are more likely

to also eat frequently. Another social factor that the respondents are slightly aware

of is the peers influence with a mean of 2.07 which means that they are not that

fully aware that their peers such as their friends can influence them a lot in terms

of their eating practices. Lastly, diseases and medications as a social factor got

the lowest mean of 186 which means that among all the social factors, the

respondents are atleast of aware that this could also be a factor that can lead to

obesity.

According to an article by Sahoo et al. (2015), socio-cultural factors have also

been found to influence the development of obesity. Our society tends to use food

as a reward, as a means to control others, and as part of socializing. With this, it

increases the increasing risk of developing obesity.

According to an article by Mayo Clinic (2019), obesity is diagnosed when your

body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. Although there are genetic, behavioral,

metabolic and hormonal influences on body weight, obesity occurs when you take

in more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your

52
body stores these excess calories as fat. Obesity usually results from a

combination of causes and contributing factors it is family inheritance and

influences, lifestyle choices, certain diseases and medications, social and

economic issues, and age. Even if you have one or more of these risk factors, it

doesn't mean that you're destined to develop obesity. You can counteract most

risk factors through diet, physical activity and exercise, and behavior changes.

3. Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity

This section presents the significant differences on the assessment of the

respondents when grouped according to profile variables: grade level, sex, height

and weight

3.1 Difference on the Level of Awareness When Grouped According to Grade

Level

Table 7
Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity
When Grouped According to Grade Level

Factors of Obesity F-value p-value Decision on Verbal

H0 Interpretation
Psychological Factor 18.814 0.000 Reject Significant
Social Factor 19.766 0.000 Reject Significant
p<0.05

As seen in table 7, all the p-values is less than the critical value which leads to

reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is significant difference on the

level of awareness of the respondents on both the psychological and social factors

leading to obesity when grouped according to grade level.

The study of Mustafa et. al (2016) investigated obesity awareness stage of 8th

class students in secondary school who entered TEOG examination organized by

53
Ministry of National Education in terms of different variables. The research was

carried out with 268 male and 232 female students. it was determined that average

of obesity awareness total grade obtained from the scale was 58.28, average of

obesity awareness sub-dimension grade was 23.29, average of nutrition sub-

dimension grade 18.29 and average of physical sub-dimension grade was 13.58.

It was found that average of obesity awareness grades for female students was

23.16, nutrition sub-dimension grade was 18.27, physical sub-dimension grade

was 13.78. Average of obesity awareness grades for male students was 23.39,

average of nutrition sub-dimension grade was 18.31, average of physical sub-

dimension grade was 13.40.

3.2 Difference on the Level of Awareness When Grouped According to Sex

Table 8
Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity
When Grouped According to Sex

Factors of Obesity t-value p-value Decision on Verbal

H0 Interpretation
Psychological Factor -0.761 0.448 Failed to Not significant
reject
Social Factor -0.898 0.370 Failed to Not significant
reject
p<0.05

Table 8 shows that all the p-values is more than the critical value which leads

to failure to reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is no significant

difference found on the level of awareness of the respondents on both the

psychological and social factors leading to obesity when grouped according to sex.

According to of Mustafa et al. (2016), a significant difference was not found

between gender together with obesity awareness total grade and sub-dimensions

54
with this result, it simply indicated that age and gender of secondary school

students did not affect obesity awareness. Moreover, it was observed that female

students had better physical fitness than male students when body mass index

calculations were taken into consideration.

3.3 Difference on the Level of Awareness When Grouped According to Height

Table 9
Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity
When Grouped According to Height

Factors of Obesity F-value p-value Decision on Verbal

H0 Interpretation
Psychological Factor 1.952 0.038 Reject Significant
Social Factor 2.800 0.003 Reject Significant
p<0.05

As seen in table 9, all the p-values is less than the critical value which leads to

reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is significant difference found on

the level of awareness of the respondents on both the psychological and social

factors leading to obesity when grouped according to height.

In the study conducted by Alasmari et. al (2017), they aim of this to assess

obesity awareness and knowledge among intermediate and high schools students

using a reliable and validated scale, the obesity risk knowledge (ORK-10) scale.

They included intermediate and high school students, aged 12 - 18 years, who

were willing to participate in the study. Each student’s height and weight were

measured by the researchers and BMI was calculated. BMI was categorized as

follows: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal (BMI 18.5 ≤ 24.9 kg/m2),

overweight (BMI 25 ≤ 30 kg/m2), and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). After gathering

55
data, they have found out that awareness levels about the risks associated with

obesity are considered to be insufficient.

3.4 Difference on the Level of Awareness When Grouped According to

Weight

Table 10
Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity
When Grouped According to Weight

Factors of Obesity F-value p-value Decision on Verbal

H0 Interpretation
Psychological Factor 1.649 0.085 Failed to Not significant
reject
Social Factor 2.233 0.013 Reject Significant
p<0.05

Shown in table 10 is the level of awareness when grouped according to weight,

it is also shows that the p-value in terms of psychological factor is more than the

critical value which leads to failure to reject the null hypothesis. While in terms of

social factor, the p-value is less than the critical value which leads to reject the null

hypothesis. This means that there is significant difference found on the level of

awareness of the respondents on social factors leading to obesity when grouped

according to height.

According to an article by Sahoo et al. (2015), overweight and obese people

are often teased and/or bullied for their weight. They also face numerous other

hardships including negative stereotypes, discrimination, and social

marginalization. They are often excluded from activities, particularly competitive

activities that require physical activity. These negative social problems contribute

to low self-esteem, low-self confidence, and a negative body image in children.

The social consequences of obesity may contribute to continuing difficulty in weight

56
management. Overweight children tend to protect themselves from negative

comments and attitudes by retreating to safe places, such as their homes, where

they may seek food as a comfort. In addition, they tend to have fewer friends than

normal weight children, which results in less social interaction and play, and more

time spent in sedentary activities. As aforementioned, physical activity is often

more difficult for overweight and obese children as they tend to get shortness of

breath and often have a hard time keeping up with their peers.

4. Proposed Activities for the Enhancement of Awareness of the

Respondents

Presented in Table 11 are proposed activities to raise the level of awareness

on psychological and social factors leading to obesity.

Table 11 aims to discuss the objectives, key result area and the person

involved in each proposed activity which will help the people, especially the high

school students of Sta. Teresa College, to further understand the factors leading

to obesity. As a result, the students are moderately aware on the psychological

and social factors leading to obesity. However, it is also shown in the results of the

study that there are factors where the students are slightly aware and it is important

to increase their level of awareness about these for them to prevent obesity. The

tools and activities below intend to help everyone especially the respondents of

this study to increase their awareness about the psychological and social factors

leading to obesity.

57
 Table 11
Proposed Activities to Raise the Level of Awareness on the Psychological
and Social Factors Leading to Obesity

Objectives Key Result Area Activities Person Involved

To help the High level of A talk that would Health experts

students to have awareness of the surely increase School admins
an enough students on the the students’ Researchers
awareness about factors leading to awareness about Students
certain causes of obesity that they the causes of Parents
obesity such as are slightly aware obesity especially
some diseases of. some factors such
and medications, as diseases and
alcohol intake and medications,
neighborhood. alcohol intake and
neighborhood.
To make the Reduced A zumba or yoga School admins
students aware frustration and session should be PE teachers
that frustration mood disturbance a yearly school Researchers
and mood of the students requirement in Students
disturbance could and enough Physical
lead them into an knowledge of how Education subject.
these factors It should make the
unhealthy
could contribute to students aware
condition such as
obesity. that these
obesity. activities would
prevent them from
frustration and
mood disturbance
that may
eventually lead to
obesity.
For students to Getting used of As foods also School admins
gain knowledge eating healthy affect our mood, a Canteen
that food that they foods and full vento box filled personels
intake could affect understanding with different Researchers
their mood and that they should nutritional foods Students
the way they always be mindful should be sell on
behave. of what foods they the school
eat. canteen so that
students will
surely have a
mood balance.

58
 CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

Summary

This chapter presents the summary, conclusions drawn and finally the

recommendations based from the conclusions arrived at in the course of

discussing and analyzing the data.

This study “Level of Awareness on the Psychological and Social Factor

Leading to Obesity” used the quantitative research design in obtaining and

interpreting the results.

This study used 297 respondents from the grades eight (8) to twelve (12)

students of Sta. Teresa College which was obtained from the random sampling

done. Questionnaires were used in gathering the data needed.

Specifically, this study sought to know and answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of respondents in terms of:

1.1 grade level;

1.2 sex;

1.3 height; and

1.4 weight?

2. How may the respondents’ level of awareness on obesity be described

relative to:

2.1 psychological factors; and

2.2 social factors?

59
3. Is there significant difference on the level of awareness on the factors leading

to obesity when grouped according to their profile variables?

4. Based on the findings, what activities may be proposed to raise the level of

awareness on factors leading to obesity?

Findings

Based on the gathered results, the following findings were revealed in the

study:

1. Profile of the Respondents

1.1 Grade Level of Respondents

The respondents of the study are the high school students of Sta. Teresa

College, specifically from grade 8 to grade 12. Majority of the respondents are

from the grade 10 students. This was followed by grade 9 students. Grade 12

students are one of the respondents. Next to grade 12 were the grade 8

students. Grade 11 also took part in the study.

1.2 Sex of Respondents

Between male and female, majority of the respondents of the study are

female students from grade 8 to grade 12 of Sta. Teresa College.

1.3 Height

The height of most of the respondents is ranging from 151-155 cm and

156-160 cm least of the respondents weigh in ranges 131-135 cm and 181-

185.

60
 1.4 Weight

The result of the study shows that the most of the students weigh in ranges

41-45 kilograms and 51-55 kilogram. In contrast, least of them weigh in ranges

of 81-85 kilograms and 91-95 kilograms.

2. Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to Obesity

2.1 Level of Awareness on the Psychological Factors Leading to Obesity

The respondents were moderately aware, with weighted mean ranging from 2.50

to 3.49, of the psychological factors such as unhealthy eating, overeating, stress,

depression/anxiety, feeling of sadness, too much sleep and boredom. However, the

respondents are only slightly aware of mood disturbance, alcohol intake and

frustration as psychological factors with 1.50 to 2.49 weighted mean.

2.2 Level of Awareness on the Social Factors Leading to Obesity

The students were moderately aware and considered lifestyle choices,

parental feeding practices, use of food as a reward or to control others,

geographic location, socio-economic status, gender influences and peers

influence as social factors which leads a person to obesity with weighted mean

ranging from 2.50 to 3.49. On the other side, the respondents are only slightly

aware that use of food as a part of socializing, neighborhood, diseases and

medications are social factors leading to obesity with 1.50 to 2.49 weighted

mean.

61
3. Significant Differences on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading

to Obesity

3.1 Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to

Obesity When Grouped According to Grade Level

The result of the study shows that there is a significant difference in the

respondents' level of awareness when grouped according to their grade level.

It means that each grade level has a different level of awareness when it

comes to the psychological and social factors that can lead to obesity. With

this result, it is decided to reject the hypothesis of the study.

3.2 Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to

Obesity When Grouped According to Sex

In terms of the sex of the respondents, there is no significant difference

found in the level of awareness on the psychological and social factors leading

to obesity. It means that when grouped according to sex, males and females

respondents have the same level of awareness on factors leading to obesity.

With this result, the hypothesis of the study is failed to be rejected.

3.3 Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to

Obesity When Grouped According to Height

When grouped according to height, the result of the study shows that there

is a significant difference on the respondents' level of awareness. This means

that when the respondents are grouped according to their corresponding

heights, they have different level of awareness that is why it leads to rejecting

the hypothesis of the study.

62
 3.4 Difference on the Level of Awareness on the Factors Leading to

Obesity When Grouped According to Weight

In terms of weight, the result of the study shows that in the level of

awareness on the psychological factor, there is a significant difference found.

It means that when respondents are grouped according to their corresponding

weights, they have the same level of awareness on the psychological factors

that can lead to obesity. In contrast to this, in terms of the level of awareness

on the social factors that can lead to obesity, there is significant difference

found which means that when respondents are grouped according to their

corresponding weights, their level of awareness varies.

4. Proposed Activities to Raise the Level of Awareness on the Psychological

and Social Factors Leading to Obesity

The proposed activities to raise awareness on the psychological and social

factors leading to obesity are first, a talk about the causes of obesity, a zumba

or yoga session as a yearly school requirement in Physical Education subject

and a vento box filled with different nutritional foods to be sell on the school

canteen.

Conclusions

Based on the findings, the following conclusions were drawn:

1. The highest number of the respondents among the grade levels is from grade

ten (10) with a frequency of seventy-two (72) and majority of the respondents are

female with the height and weight of 151-155 cm and 41-50 kg respectively.

63
2. The respondents are moderately aware on the psychological and social factors

leading to obesity.

3. There is a significant difference found in the respondents' level of awareness on

the psychological and social factors that can lead to obesity when grouped

according to their grade level and height. On the other hand, there is no significant

difference found in the respondents' level of awareness when grouped according

to their sex. When grouped according to weight, there is a significant difference

found in the level of awareness on the social factor while for psychological factors,

there is no significant difference found.

4. The proposed activities to raise awareness on the psychological and social

factors leading to obesity are first, a talk about the causes of obesity, a zumba or

yoga session as a yearly school requirement in Physical Education subject and a

vento box filled with different nutritional foods to be sell on the school canteen.

Recommendations

Presented in this section are the given recommendations of the current

study which were derived from the gathered data and conclusions.

1. The school administration should use the results of the study to be able to have

an idea of what more can they do to provide their students an enough awareness

about obesity and the psychological and social factors that can lead to it.

2. Parents should undergo a seminar that will increase their awareness on the

psychological and social factors that can lead to obesity. This is for them to be able

to guide their children well especially because they are the ones that greatly

influence their children’s lifestyle.

64
3. A symposium being obesity as a topic must be done together with the students

and experts that will clearly explain what obesity is together with the possible

causes and effects of it.

4. The future researchers should conduct similar studies to have a better

understanding of how aware the people are about the factors that can lead to

obesity and to identify more ways of increasing this awareness.

65
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69
 APPENDICES
LETTERS

November 27, 2019

Mrs. Violeta C. Ramos

Sta. Teresa College
Bauan, Batangas

Dear Mrs. Violeta C. Ramos,

Greetings of Peace!

We, the undersigned are Grade 12 students of Sta. Teresa College in Bauan,
Batangas presently conducting a research study entitled LEVEL OF
AWARENESS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS LEADING TO
OBESITY.

May we ask your permission if we could ask the clinic of the school for the height
and weight of the Junior and Senior High School S.Y 2018-2019. Rest-assured
that the information will only be used for the researcher’s questionnaire.

Thank you in anticipation with your favourable response.

Very respectfully yours,

MIGUELLA G. CASTILLO
Research Leader

Noted:

Ms. LEILA P. LAGMAY

Teacher

Approved:

Mrs. VIOLETA C. RAMOS

SHS Principal

70
December 10, 2019

DEAR RESPONDENTS,

We, the undersigned are Grade 12 students of Sta. Teresa College in Bauan,
Batangas presently conducting a research entitled LEVEL OF AWARENESS ON
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS LEADING TO OBESITY.

This study aims to know the level of awareness of the students in Sta.Teresa
College on the psychological and social factors leading to obesity. With this, may
we ask your permission to be one of our respondents? Rest assured that the given
information will be treated confidentially.

Thank you in anticipation with your favorable response!

Very respectfully yours,

MIGUELLA CASTILLO
Research Leader

Noted:

Ms LEILA LAGMAY
Teacher

Approved:

Mrs. VIOLETA C. RAMOS

SHS Principal

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 QUESTIONNAIRE

LEVEL OF AWARENESS ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL

FACTORS LEADING TO OBESITY

Obesity is a complex medical condition wherein there is an excessive amount

of weight or body fat that may negatively affect the health of an individual. This
condition is affected by certain factors which includes the psychological and social
aspect of a person.

Name (Optional):
Grade & Section:

GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Read each statements and questions carefully. For

category A, write your answer on the space provided. For the rest of the categories,
place a check mark (√) in the box of your answer.

A. Profile of the respondents

Instruction: All these profile variables are REQUIRED to be answered.

Grade Level:  8  9  10  11  12

Height: 131-135 136-150 141-145 146-150

151-155 156-160 161-165 165- 170
171-175 176-180 180-185

Weight: 26-30 31-35 36-40

45-50 51-55 56-60
61-65 66-70 71-75
76-80 81-85 86-90
91-95 96-100 101-105
106-110 111-115

Sex:  Male  Female

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B. Level of awareness on Obesity

4 - Highly Aware
3 - Moderately Aware
2 - Slightly Aware
1 - Not Aware

I. Psychological factors leading to obesity 4 3 2 1

includes…
1. Unhealthy eating
2. Overeating
3. Depression/ Anxiety
4. Alcohol intake
5. Boredom
6. Feeling of sadness
7. Too much sleep
8. Stress
9. Frustration
10. Mood disturbance
II. Social factors leading to obesity 4 3 2 1
includes…
1. Socio-economic status
2. Peers influence
3. Geographic location
4. Gender Influences
5. Use of food as a reward or to control
others
6. Use of food as a part of socializing
7. Lifestyle choices
8. Diseases and medications
9. Parental feeding practices
10. Neighborhood

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 CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Data

Name : KC Nicole R. Alimagno

Age : 17

Birthdate : June 2, 2002

Address : Zone 5 Bayanan San Pascual, Batangas

Citizenship : Filipino

Religion : Roman Catholic

Father’s Name : Rolando P. Alimagno

Mother’s Name : Carla R. Alimagno

Educational Attaintment

Secondary (Senior High School) : Sta. Teresa College

Primary : Bayanan Elementary School

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 CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Data

Name : Miguella G. Castillo

Age : 17

Birthdate : September 30, 2002

Address : Area 7 Purok 1 San Roque Bauan, Batangas

Citizenship : Filipino

Religion : Roman Catholic

Father’s Name : Randy A. Castillo

Mother’s Name : Boots Anson G. Castillo

Educational Attaintment

Secondary (Senior High School) : Sta. Teresa College

Primary : Bauan East Elementary School

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 CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Data

Name : Kathlene C. Cultura

Age : 18

Birthdate : February 25, 2002

Address : Boomtown Cupang Bauan, Batangas

Citizenship : Filipino

Religion : Roman Catholic

Father’s Name : Joel B. Cultura

Mother’s Name : Jasmin C. Cultura

Educational Attaintment

Secondary (Senior High School) : Sta. Teresa College

Primary : Bolbok Elementary School

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 CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Data

Name : Anne Maxine C. Eje

Age : 17

Birthdate : September 16, 2002

Address : Alalum, San Pasual, Batangas

Citizenship : Filipino

Religion : Roman Catholic

Father’s Name : Rolando G. Eje

Mother’s Name : Ma. Teresa C. Eje

Educational Attaintment

Secondary (Senior High School) : Sta. Teresa College

Primary : Alalum Elementary School

77
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Data

Name : John Paul P. Varona

Age : 17

Birthdate : May 7, 2002

Address : Pila San Pasual, Batangas

Citizenship : Filipino

Religion : Roman Catholic

Father’s Name : Ronald A. Varona

Mother’s Nam : Alice P. Varona

Educational Attaintment

Secondary (Senior High School) : Sta. Teresa College

Primary : Malakimpook Elementary School

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