Temporal Trends in Obesity, Overweight and Underweight among adolescents and young adults in Nigeria: Addressing the Dual Burden of Malnutrition
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Background: Body mass index (BMI) serves as a key indicator of nutritional and metabolic health, particularly in young adult populations. This study assessed BMI patterns and temporal trends among adolescents and young adults at Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria, over a five-year period (2020–2024), encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 5,821 anonymized health screening records of students aged 14–42 years (mean = 16.82 ± 1.67). Anthropometric data were collected using standardized procedures, and BMI was categorized following WHO criteria. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed in Python 3.9.7, while k-means clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to identify underlying health profiles. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: The mean BMI for the population was 23.34 ± 4.99 kg/m², with females exhibiting significantly higher BMI than males (p < 0.001). The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity was 11.25%,17.52%, and 9.65%, respectively. From 2020 to 2024, mean BMI declined significantly by 7.11% (p = 0.042), accompanied by a 151.6% increase in underweight prevalence and a 34.1% reduction in the combined overweight–obesity group. Cluster analysis identified three distinct health profiles: a high-BMI, female-dominant cluster (13.9%), a normal-lower BMI female cluster (42.8%), and a normal-lower BMI male cluster (37.6%). The silhouette score (0.439) indicated moderate but meaningful differentiation between clusters. Conclusion: The study reveals a shifting nutritional landscape among Nigerian university students, characterized by a decline in overall BMI but a concurrent rise in underweight prevalence post-pandemic. These findings underscore the dual burden of malnutrition and highlight the need for continuous campus-based nutritional monitoring and gender-responsive health interventions.
