Term of Award
Spring 2022
Degree Name
Doctor of Public Health in Community Health Behavior and Education (Dr.P.H.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Committee Chair
Dr. Andrew Hansen
Committee Member 1
Kelly Sullivan
Committee Member 2
Stacy Smallwood
Committee Member 3
Haresh Rochani
Committee Member 3 Email
hrochani@georgiasouthern.edu
Non-Voting Committee Member
Haresh Rochani
Abstract
Overweight and obesity epidemic continues to be a proliferating global health issue affecting both developed and developing countries. In Ghana, health impacts of overweight and obesity are increasingly becoming apparent among the healthcare workforce, educated, wealthy, and urban populations. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined sociocultural factors influencing overweight and obesity among healthcare providers and ancillary staff in Ghana. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the sociocultural factors influencing obesity and overweight among healthcare providers and ancillary staff. A convenience sampling (n=274) of healthcare providers and ancillary staff participated from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Suntreso Government Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Instrument was a self-administered survey that assessed participants’ demographic characteristics, sociocultural perceptions about body shape preferences, perceptions of one’s own body weight satisfaction, and main sources of influence and advice for body shape. Secondary analysis was performed on cross-sectional data collected in 2017. Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, ordinal logistic regression, and adjusted predicted probabilities were conducted. Over half of participants self-reported that sociocultural perceptions about preference of female body shape had an influence on how they perceived their own body image, with 59% of females and 47% of males acknowledging the influence of sociocultural perceptions on how they perceived their own body image. Most males (58%) compared to females (39%) indicated that sociocultural perceptions about preference of male body shape had an influence on how they perceived their own body image. Perceptions of one’s own body weight satisfaction were statistically significantly associated with the BMI and BMI categories after controlling for predictors. Main sources of influence and advice for body shape were not statistically significantly associated with the BMI and BMI categories after controlling for predictors. Overall, findings from this study demonstrate the important role sociocultural factors may play in influencing obesity and overweight among healthcare providers and ancillary staff in Ghana.
Recommended Citation
Deng, Abraham Awuol. (2022). Sociocultural Correlates of Obesity and Overweight among Healthcare Providers and Ancillary Staff in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study. Doctoral Dissertation. Georgia Southern University, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health.
Research Data and Supplementary Material
Yes
