Background/Purpose Overweight and obesity in Thai children has dramatically increased. Few researches on prevention approaches in targeted high-risk populations are reported. Thus, the study was conducted to investigate the predictors for overweight and obese students' diet and physical activity behaviors. It also sought to see if the eating and physical behaviors would change after attending a health education program.
Method The first phase was a descriptive research, 395 subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. The second phase involved health education program, 90 subjects for experimental group and control group were selected by stratified random sampling.
Analysis/Results
There were 395 subjects in which 46.33% boys and 53.67% girls. They were 46.08% overweight and 53.92% obese students. Data showed that enabling factor could predict the diet behavior of students at the level 17.7% (R2 = 0.177, p<.05) whereas predisposing factor and enabling factor could predict the physical activity behavior of students at the level 3.1%. (R2 = 0.031, p<.05). Concerning weight loss goal, most participants aimed at losing weight at ½ kilogram/week (86.7%), while the remaining aimed at 1 kilogram/week (13.30%). After participating in the 3-month health education program, a few participants achieved the self-set aims (10.6%).
Conclusions Finding revealed that the obesity may come from food's ingredients and less physical activities. The health education program was effective in helping the participants achieve the self-set weight goal. However, extending the duration of the activity might further increase its effectiveness. The solutions for obesity were discussed.