الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Adolescence represents the second most critical period of physical growth after infancy. It is a time of intense growth; as growth velocity increases. Throughout adolescence, 15% of the ultimate adult height and 50% of adult weight can be gained. Therefore, a healthy diet during adolescence is vital to promote optimal health, growth and cognitive development of the adolescent, and may contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases in the later life. Nutrition knowledge represents a mediating factor for diet quality. Improvement of diet quality is associated with less weight gain, especially in younger ages or overweight individuals.
As the increase in nutritional knowledge can have an essential role in promoting healthy weight loss behaviors, it is important to establish good health knowledge toward body weight which provide assessment tool about weight related problems including underweight, obesity, and overweight, because it is associated with and considered to be an important risk factor for several chronic conditions. It is also considered one of the important preventable causes of death worldwide.
The aim of the present study was to study the relationship between nutrition knowledge and body weight among preparatory school students in Derna city – Libya, with following specific objectives :to assess level of nutritional knowledge among preparatory school students in Derna city. To estimate the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight among preparatory school students. And to find an association between nutrition knowledge and body weight.
A cross sectional study was conducted among 800 students from the different governmental preparatory schools students aged from 12-15 years. Data collection was done by using a pre-designed self-administered questionnaire including; Personal data; food habit questionnaire which consisted of 4 sections; food frequency consumption; dietary habits; nutrition knowledge; physical activity and screen time viewing ; Weight , height, and BMI was calculated and plotted on WHO- growth curves.
Data entry and statistical analysis were done by using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Statistical analysis were performed in both descriptive and inferential forms.
The study revealed the following main results:
Body weight status of preparatory school students in Derna city- Libya showed that 24.3% of boys, and 8% of girls were underweight. Overweight and obesity were prevalent among girls, where 17%, and 13.5% of them were overweight, and obese, respectively. To lesser extent a lower percentage of overweight and obesity was noted in boys (10.8%, 7.3%, respectively).
Nutrition knowledge score of preparatory school students in Derna city- Libya revealed that 43.9% of them had poor nutrition knowledge (51.5% of boys, and 36.3% of girls), while 39.5% of them had fair nutrition knowledge (30.8% of boys, and 48.3% of girls). Only 16.6% had good nutrition knowledge (17.8% of boys, 15.5% of girls).
There is no statistically significant association observed between body weight and nutrition knowledge score.
Higher body weight is significantly common among younger age group. Surprisingly, higher nutritional knowledge score was associated with higher body weight. It was also evident that both higher fish consumption, and regular breakfast eating are associated with lower body weight for the whole sample in univariate regression.
In multivariate regression, it was evident that younger boys and those with higher consumption of dessert, and fast food have a higher body weight. Regarding girls, surprisingly higher nutritional knowledge score was associated with higher body weight.
6.2 Conclusions
Based on the results, it can be concluded that:
Obesity is prevalent among preparatory school girls more than boys, and nutritional knowledge is not associated with body weight status. The main factors that are associated with higher body weight among boys are the younger age and the higher consumption of dessert and fast food, and in girls, higher body weight was associated with higher nutritional knowledge score.
6.3 Recommendations
The main recommendations included the following
1. Incorporate nutrition education in school curricula to improve nutritional knowledge.
2. National campaigns to educate adolescents about danger of fast food and increase sugar consumption, and the importance of breakfast consumption as a method to prevent overweight , and obesity.
3. Physical activity should be encouraged especially for girls in Libya.
4. Governmental actions should address the high consumption of fast foods and snacks among adolescents through increase taxes on them and avoid commercial advertisements targeting children, and adolescents.
5. Periodic nutritional assessment and monitoring to adolescence in their schools.
6. Environmental conditions including family, school, play gardens/ clubs must be adapted and taken into consideration especially for girls.