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Impact of Obesity Screening on Obesity Detection among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Obesity is an increasing public health concern among young adults and is associated with an elevated risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal conditions, and other noncommunicable diseases. University students may be exposed to lifestyle factors such as unhealthy dietary patterns, physical inactivity, prolonged sedentary behaviour, inadequate sleep, and other behaviours that may increase the risk of excessive weight gain. Despite these risks, obesity may remain undetected among university students because routine screening and preventive health assessments are not consistently available or utilized. Obesity screening provides an opportunity to identify students with excessive body weight and body fat and to facilitate early health education, lifestyle modification, monitoring, and referral where necessary. Obesity screening refers to the systematic assessment of individuals using appropriate anthropometric and, where applicable, body-composition measures to identify overweight and obesity. Obesity detection refers to the identification and classification of individuals as overweight or obese using established anthropometric or clinical criteria. In Nigeria, limited awareness of healthy weight, inadequate access to screening services, financial constraints, cultural perceptions of body size, and low utilization of preventive health services may contribute to under-detection of obesity among young adults. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of obesity screening on obesity detection among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. The Health Belief Model explains preventive health behaviour through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between individual characteristics, behaviour, and environmental factors in shaping health-related actions. Andersen's Behavioral Model explains healthcare utilization through predisposing, enabling, and need-related factors. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how obesity screening may influence the detection of obesity among university students. The study will adopt a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Data will be collected from undergraduate students in selected universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select universities, faculties or departments, and eligible students. Obesity screening will be assessed using indicators such as availability of screening services, frequency of screening, accessibility of screening locations, participation in screening activities, measurement of weight and height, calculation of body mass index, waist circumference assessment, and provision of appropriate screening information. Obesity detection will be assessed using indicators such as identification of overweight and obesity based on established body mass index categories, identification of central obesity using appropriate waist-circumference criteria, documentation of previously undetected obesity, and referral or counselling following abnormal screening findings. Standardized weighing scales, stadiometers, measuring tapes, and structured questionnaires will be used for data collection. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, screening participation, and obesity detection patterns. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the impact of obesity screening on obesity detection. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of research instruments and the robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that obesity screening has a significant positive impact on obesity detection among university students in Nigeria. Students who participate in systematic obesity screening are expected to have a greater likelihood of having previously undetected overweight or obesity identified than students without access to screening. Routine assessment of body mass index and waist circumference may facilitate early identification of students at increased risk of obesity-related health problems. Screening may also increase students' awareness of their weight status and encourage appropriate lifestyle changes, health education, and professional consultation where necessary. Conversely, limited access to screening may allow overweight and obesity to remain undetected, reducing opportunities for early intervention. However, obesity screening alone may not necessarily result in long-term weight management because factors such as dietary practices, physical activity, socioeconomic circumstances, university environment, and access to appropriate health services may influence subsequent health behaviour. Therefore, screening should be accompanied by appropriate counselling, health education, and referral services. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on obesity screening, obesity detection, adolescent and young-adult health, nutrition, noncommunicable disease prevention, university health, epidemiology, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, university health centres, university administrators, public health practitioners, nutritionists, healthcare workers, student health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving early detection of obesity among young adults. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening obesity screening programmes in universities, increasing student participation in preventive health assessments, improving anthropometric screening capacity, strengthening nutrition and physical-activity education, establishing regular weight and health assessments, and integrating obesity prevention and screening into university health services across Nigeria.

Keywords: Obesity screening, obesity detection, university students, Nigeria, overweight, body mass index, central obesity, nutrition, noncommunicable diseases, young adults, health promotion, public health.