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CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

As a worldwide health problem, obesity is now considered a disease, both in

developed and developing countries as declared by the World Health Organization

(WHO).

The Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation most recent

updated data on September 1, 2016 adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four

states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. Louisiana has the

highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2 percent.

U.S. adult obesity rates decreased in four states (Minnesota, Montana, New York and

Ohio), increased in two (Kansas and Kentucky) and remained stable in the rest, between

2014 and 2015.

In the Philippines, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute-DOST has shown in

its national nutrition surveys that in the last two decades, overweight and obesity both

among adults and children have alarmingly increased in prevalence. At the same time, the

deleterious effects of obesity on health and the economy are increasingly becoming

recognized (http://obesity.org.ph/v4/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Obesity_Research_Philippines_1981-

2011.pdf).

Dr. David Heber (2015), Chairman of the Herbalife Nutrition Institute said that

29% of the Philippines population that is obese and overweight putting the country in
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the early stage of global nutrition transition. If this trend continues, it is highly likely

that more will suffer from high-risk disease that could lead to death.

To combat this health challenges, issues and concerns, the World Health

Organization (WHO) is now working with the countrys National Nutrition Council

(NNC) for the development of an action plan against obesity

(http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/06/26/1470048/who-obesity-rise-among-pinoys_).

Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it

might have a negative effect on ones health. If a persons body weight is at least 20%

higher than it should be, he or she is considered obese. If the Body Mass Index (BMI) is

between 25 and 29.9 then the person is considered overweight.

The President of the Philippine Association for the study of Overweight and

Obesity Inc. (PAASO). 3 out of 10 Filipino adults 20 years old and above are either

overweight or obese (Mirasol, 2014). Moreover, as the national trends of the so-called

lifestyle disease continue to increase, following the global patterns. Indeed, the

prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among adult Filipinos will be doubled and

tripled, respectively, over and observation period of two decades or so (Jasul, 2013).

The risk factors believed to affect obesity which is measured in terms of body

mass index are physical activity, food preference, age, marital status, body mass index,

and monthly income.

Lack of physical activity is another important factor related to obesity. Many

people have jobs that involve sitting at a desk for most of the day. They also rely on their

cars, rather than walking or cycling. For relaxation, many people tend to watch cable-

ready television, browse the internet or play computer games, and rarely take regular
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exercise. If they are not active enough, they do not use the energy provided by the food

they eat, and the extra energy they consume is stored by the body as fat.

According to Dr. Deborah Wilson (2016), vegetarian diets are the only diets that

work for long-term weight loss, population studies show that meat-eaters have three

times the obesity rate of vegetarians and nine times the obesity rate of vegans. Adopting a

vegan diet will not just help slim down, it also help fight an array of ailments, including

heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.

Obesity can occur at any age, but as one age, hormonal changes and a less active

lifestyle increase the risk of obesity. In addition, the amount of muscle in the body tends

to decrease with age. This lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These

changes also reduce calorie needs, and can make it harder to keep off excess weight. If

one does not consciously control what you they eat and become more physically inactive

as you age, she will likely gain weight.

High-income countries have greater rates of obesity than middle- and low-income

countries. Countries that develop wealth also develop obesity; for instance, with

economic growth in China and India, obesity rates have increased by several-fold. The

international trend is that greater obesity tracks with greater wealth. The U.S. is one of

the wealthiest countries in the world and accordingly has high obesity rates; one-third of

the population has obesity plus another third is overweight.

Marital Status has also been shown to be associated with BMI and most cross-

sectional studies tend to find that married people are more often overweight and obese

than those living alone.

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1.2 Theoretical Framework of the Study

Obesity is defined as a BMI (body mass index) over 30 kg/m2. It is a medical

condition characterized by storage of excess body fat. The human body naturally stores

fat tissue under the skin and around organs and joints. Fat is critical for good health

because it is a source of energy when the body lacks the energy necessary to sustain life

processes, and it provides insulation and protection for internal organs. But the

accumulation of too much fat in the body is associated with a variety of health problems.

The classification criteria for overweight and obesity are defined according to

World Health Organization (WHO) standardized criteria. For adults who are 20 years of

age and older, the following WHO recommended criteria are used. Individuals with a

BMI more than 25 kg/m2 are considered overweight, and obesity is defined as follows:

pre-obesity (BMI= 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2); class I obesity (BMI = 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2); class

II obesity (BMI= 35.0 to 39.9 kg/m2); and class III obesity (BMI is more than 40.0

kg/m2). Furthermore, the 25% and 32% sex-specific cut-points for body fat were used to

indicate obesity among men and women, respectively, and subjects with waist

circumference of more than 102 and 99 cm, respectively, are considered at higher risk for

metabolic diseases than their counterparts.

The known risk factors of overweight and obesity are diabetes, heart disease,

stroke, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and

bone of joints), sleep apnea, other breather problems and some forms of cancer (uterine,

beast, colorectal, kidney and gallbladder).

Obesity is also associated with high blood cholesterol, complications of

pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair),
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stress incontinence (urine leakage caused by weak pelvic floor muscles), and

psychological disorders such as depression and increased surgical risk (Kathouda, n.d.).

To prevent obesity and improve health, regular physical activities are crucial.

Staying active is the best way to maintain a healthy weight that is right for an individual.

The Department of Health (DOH) recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes (two-

and-a-half hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking,

every week. This does not need to be done all in one go, but can be broken down into

smaller periods. For example, one could exercise for 30 minutes a day for five days a

week. If one is obese and trying to lose weight, one may need to do more exercise than

this. It may help to start off slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise one

does each week.

According to Robertson (2009), humans can be divided into two rough categories

the veggie lover and the non-veggie lovers. Many studies have shown that vegetarians

seem to have a lower risk of obesity. Dr. T. Colin Campbell of Cornell University,

arguably the foremost epidemiologist in the world, stated that the more individuals

substitute plant foods for animal foods, the healthier they likely to be. She then concluded

that a vegan diet - particularly one that is low in fat - will substantially reduce disease

risks and there is no disadvantages from veganism. Vegans appear to enjoy equal or better

health in comparison to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Exercise helps to control weight. When people use more calories than they eat in

their daily food, they lose weight. When combined with properly controlled diet, exercise

helps to burn up body fat and slim the figure. Generally speaking, exercise helps people

maintain their ideal weight (Johnson, 1992).

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The main culprit behind this prevailing health hazard is the food people consume.

Foods are high in calorie. Consuming too much calories leads to weight gain. Human

body can handle only a limited number of calories per day. If they eat calories more than

the body needs, the extra calories will be converted to fats.

Income may directly affect weight through its effect on the consumption and

expenditure of calories. Increased income may cause a workers weight to increase in two

ways. The worker may use the additional income to purchase additional calories for home

consumption, or substitute restaurant meals, which are generally more calorie-dense than

food consumed at home (Lin and Frazo, 1997). Changes in wages may also indirectly

alter weight through their impact on labor supply and time allocation. To the extent that

the calories expended in labor differ from the calories expended in leisure, changes in

labor supply will alter weight (Lakdawalla and Philipson, 2002). Increased labor supply

may also increase demand for convenience foods, which are more calorie-dense and thus

increase weight (Chou et al., 2004).

After marriage, both men and women tend to gain some weight, but men tend to

gain even more after divorce, according to a study that followed over 10,000 people to

better understand the impact of peoples marital status on their health. Using data from

the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth a biannual survey of men and women from

1986 to 2008 researchers tracked the body mass index (BMI) of folks who were never

married, were married or were divorced. The results showed that within two years of

marriage most couples BMI values increased. But divorce also turned out to be a

significant marker.
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Obesity can occur at any age, but as people age hormonal changes and a less

active lifestyle increase the risk of obesity. In addition, the amount of muscle in the body

tends to decrease with age. This lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism.

These changes also reduce calorie needs, and can make it harder to keep off excess

weight. If people consciously control what they eat and become more physically active as

they age, they will likely gain weight. People who have a sudden change in their life like

a marriage or a divorce is a bigger shock than it would have been when you were

younger, and that can really impact their weight.

1.3 Conceptual Framework of the Study

This study aimed to determine the correlates of obesity among the employees of

MSU-IIT. The conceptual framework of this study as shown in Figure 1 illustrates the

relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable. The independent

variables such as physical participation and food preference are contributory factors that

result to obesity. Added to the prevalence of obesity are moderating variables such as age,

marital status, monthly income interplay in the relationship between obesity and

independent variables such as physical activity and participation and food preference.
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INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Factors that
Affect Obesity Obesity

(Body Mass Index)

I. Physical Activity

II. Food Preference

MODERATING VARIABLES

TYPES OF
Age Marital Monthly RESPONDEN
Status Income TS:
A.) Faculty
B.) Staf

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework of the Study

1.4 Statement of the Problem

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This study aimed to know the correlates of obesity among the select 203 female

employee-respondents (both faculty and staff) of MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology,

Iligan City. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the female faculties and staffs in terms of the following:

A. Physical Activities Participation

B. Food Preference

C. Body Mass Index (BMI)

D. Age

E. Marital Status

F. Monthly Income

G. Types of Respondents

2. Is there a significant relationship between the independent variables such as

physical activity and food preference and obesity which is measured in terms of

body mass index among female MSU-IIT employees both faculties and staffs?

3. How do the moderating variables such as age, marital status, and monthly income

and types of respondents interplay in the relationship between the independent

variable and dependent variable of the study?

4. What action plan can be made based on the results of the study?

1.5 Hypotheses

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the independent variables such

as physical activity and food preference and the dependent variable which is measured in
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terms of body mass index among the female MSU-IIT employees both faculties and

staffs.

Ho2: The moderating variable such as age, marital status, monthly income and

types of respondents do not interplay in the relationship between obesity and independent

variables such as physical activity and participation and food preference among MSU-IIT

employees.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The present inquiry on the relationship between obesity and body composition of

the employees of MSU-IIT and the moderating variables interplay with other variables

undertook for its implications, ramifications, and benefits to the following:

School Administration. The findings of this study would equip the school salient

information necessary for the formulation of policies to improve or propose and create

extension programs that encourage all employees to do physical activities and programs

on top of their cognitive and behavioral activities as part of their daily works.

Particularly, the findings would help them assess, prioritize, monitor, and make sound-

judgment decisions on financial allotment in support of program implementation and

equipment acquisition.

Teachers and/or Curriculum Designers. The outcomes of this study would

assist them in making the necessary curriculum revision in strengthening academic

programs and educational teaching strategies used in school.

Employees. This study hopefully provides fresher insights and knowledge for

them to know the negative effects of obesity and its preventive measures. Thus, they
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could enhance their physical activity, have positive lifestyles and gain better

understanding in meeting the challenges and pressures in life.

Community. The result of the study would be a big help not only to the

respondents but also to the people in the community as they would know the bad effects

of obesity. Moreover, it is hoped that the results may provide adequate information on

staying physically healthy and impart the importance of knowing the negative effects of

obesity.

Future Researchers. This study would serve as an instrument for those future

researchers who will conduct a similar study.

1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study is limited only to the select 203 female MSU-IIT employee-

respondents (both faculty and staff) who were categorically obese based on the initial

identification of respondents weight using the Tanita Scale as a measuring device to

identify the weight of the employees.

1.8 Definition of Terms

This research study used certain key concepts which needed to be conceptually

and operationally defined to achieve a common understanding between the researcher

and the readers and future researchers in the same area.

Age. It refers to a period of human life, measured by years from birth, usually marked by

certain stage or degree of mental or physical development and involving legal

responsibility and capacity (Merriam Webster, n.d.). In this study, it refers to age of the
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female faculty and staff-respondents ages 21 to 64 years old who are working in MSU-

IIT, Iligan City.

Body Mass Index. In this study, it refers to a persons weight in kilograms divided by

height in meters squared (BMI=kg/m2). It also connotes not on how one looks but rather

an indication of the effect of weight has to ones waistline and height.

Correlates. It refers to have a close connection with something: to have a correlation to

something.

Food Preference. In this study, it refers to the two categories of the respondents, the

vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Marital Status. In this study, it refers to the select 203 MSU-IIT female respondents

state of being single, married, separated, divorced, or widowed.

Monthly Income. In this study, it refers to the financial stability or income per month of

the respondents. This study utilizes the income standard bracket of 2007 set by the

National Statistical Coordination Board.

Obesity. In this study, it refers to the state of being fat and when a person is 20% or more

above ideal weight.

Physical Participation. In this study, it refers to the kind of physical activity the

respondents engaged into which include low and moderate aerobic exercises.

Tanita Scales. In this study, it refers to the researchers instrument used to determine the

respondents weight and body composition. Bioelectrical Independence Analysis (BIA)

technology developed tanita over the last 25 years and it gives accurate result.
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Chapter 2

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the various related literature and related studies critically

reviewed by the researcher in the course of conducting this study following this sequence.

2.1 Related Literature

What is Obesity?

In medical terms, obesity is defined simply as an excess amount of adipose or fat

tissue. The terms adipose and obesity both have their origins in Latin. Adipose stems

from adeps, meaning fat, while obesity comes from the Latin obesus - which, in turn, is

a contraction of two Latin words, ob and edere, meaning to devour or eat away. At the

most basic level, obesity is a disease of imbalance. Energy (in the form of calories) that is

coming into the body outweighs the energy that is expended (Keller, 2008).

As stipulated by Blackstone (2016), obesity is currently 30% of the worlds

population is overweight or obese. By 2020, it is estimated that over 60% of the worlds

population will be overweight or obese. Obesity disproportionately affects minorities,

single mothers, and lower socioeconomic groups. In addition, the rate of obesity within

the adolescent age group is escalating. Obesity occurs on a continuum from overweight

to clinically severe obesity. The higher a patients BMI rises, the higher the risk

becomes that the patient will develop obesity-related diseases. Similarly, the severity of

the obesity-related diseases increases as BMI rises. Obesity ranks third in social burdens

created by human beings after smoking and armed violence.

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When it comes to obesity and type 2 diabetes in general, a gender gap appears to

exist between men and women. Women are more affected by obesity than men in most

countries, but in some countries that gap is more pronounced. In Egypt, for example, the

prevalence of obesity in men is 21% as compared to Egyptian women at 45%. In the

United States black women (57.5%) are far more affected by obesity than black men

(38.1%)

According to Varney (2014), among girls who go through early puberty, there is

an increased incidence of depression, alcohol, tobacco, and substance abuse, riskier and

sexual adventures, teen pregnancy, and even suicide attempts. Developmental scientists,

have found, not surprisingly, that girls who physically develop before their peers are apt

to gain weight and more dissatisfied with their bodies

Scientist say the obesity has two (2) main causes. First, people are not active

enough. Just 20% of Americans get enough exercise. Exercise burns calories, the units of

energy that come from food. Calories that are not worked off are stored as fat instead.

Second, people eat too much. Americans and Canadians take in about 400 to 500

calories more than they need each day. They also eat too much of the wrong kinds of

food. Their calories from food that is high in fat and sugar. All over the world, more

people are eating fast food. They eat junk food. They drink sodas. People become

overweight, and that is not healthy.

Body Mass Index

As mentioned by Rossen (2011), the World Health Organization (WHO, 2010)

defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents risk to health.

By far, the most common definition of obesity uses the BMI to determine who is
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overweight or obese. A persons BMI is a ratio of his or her weight (in kilograms) to

height (in meters-squared). By this metric, a BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m 2 is considered

overweight and a BMI of 30 or more kg/m2 is considered obese.

The BMI was originally called the Quetelet index (QI) after the Belgian

mathematician who invented it (Eknoyan, 2007). Adolhe Quetelet was a mathematician

and statistician in the 19th century who studied human growth. He discovered that weight

increases as the square of height (aside from growth spurts during infancies and puberty),

and divided subsequently created the QI, weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in

meters-squared), to describe normal human growth. In the 1970s, epidemiological studies

testing the validity of the QI started to emerge, and the QI was renamed BMI. Because

the BMI was so easy to calculate, inexpensive, and appeared to be related to both percent

body fat and morbidity and mortality risk, it was quickly adopted by researchers and

health practitioners. 40 years later, and BMI is still the most widely used metric to define

and measure obesity across the globe. . BMI is an imperfect tool because BMI is unable

to distinguish overweight due to excess fat from overweight due to excess lean mass. It is

an anthropometric or physical measurement of an individual person. Despite its

limitations, BMI is currently the most commonly used measure for assessing obesity in

adults, and it does correlate strongly with percent body fat. Since BMI is so easy and in

expensive to calculate and it correlates so well with what we really care about the body

fat. It is a pretty good proxy.

Physical Activity

According to Brown (2015), physical activity is the movement of the body caused

by skeletal muscle contractions (USDHHS, 2008). These movements usually involve the
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large muscle groups of the body and substantial energy expenditure. In other words,

physical activity is shorthand for health-enhancing physical activity. It belongs to the

group of behavioral risk factors affecting health that include tobacco use, diet, drug and

alcohol use, and sexual behavior. These risk factors are also referred to as lifestyle

factors.

Most adults gain weight from young adulthood into middle age. Observational

studies report that regular physical activity and greater aerobic fitness do not entirely

prevent this weight gain but do reduce it and thereby reduce a persons risk of reaching a

BMI of 30 or more (DiPietro et al., 1998; Lewis et al., 1997; Williams and Wood, 2006).

For persons who are obese who wish to achieve weight loss, a dietary intervention also is

needed, as the rate of weight loss due to physical activity and caloric restriction is

substantially faster than that caused by increasing physical activity only (PAGAC, 2008).

A calorie expended is a calorie expended, so logically there is a dose caloric expenditure

is achieved by performing light, moderate, or vigorous activity. But vigorous activity

burns calories at a faster rate. So practically speaking, it is more time efficient to attain

the volumes of activity necessary to achieve or maintain a healthy weight through

vigorous activity.

Food Preference

Vegetarian diets are increasingly common, and offer striking health benefits. If

vegetarian children continue to follow a plant-based diet into adulthood, they can expect

to have lower levels of obesity, high blood pressure, heart diseases, diabetes, and perhaps

cancer. Vegetarians tend to fall into several categories but are extremely varied as to how

much and when plant or animal-based foods are eaten in their diets:
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Vegans, or strict vegetarians, eat only foods of plant origin, including fruits,

vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, tofu, and legumes (e.g., beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts).

Some individuals restrict the type of plants they eat, consuming only nuts and legumes, or

no fruit or some other dietary variation. Some macrobiotic diets in which whole grains

form the bulk of food eaten are an extreme type of veganism. Yet some macrobiotic diets

include fish or meat, so would fit in the sometime vegetarian category. Veganism is

generally recognized for its ability to reduce the risks of developing everything from

obesity and heart disease, to cancer and kidney disease (Burns, 2012).

Income Status

Income is related to obesity, though this relationship is not uniform across the

globe. The incidence of obesity is affected not only by race, but also by socioeconomic

status. In the United States, we describe the impact of economic status as a function of

the total yearly income of a family compared to the poverty level established by the

federal government. People in the poor income quartile have higher levels of obesity

(26.4%) and extreme obesity (6.8%) compared to those in the high-income quartile

(23.6% and 3.3%, respectively).

Age

The most recent estimates suggest that about one-third of American adults are

obese and another one third are overweight. This means that more than two-thirds of

American adults are either obese or overweight. With a few seconds of basic math, you

realize that being normal weight it no longer the norm, less than one in three American
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adults is of a normal weight is no longer the norm, fewer than one in three American

adults is of a normal or healthy weight (Mussen, 2011).

Marital Status

Studies have shown that obese adolescents are about half as likely to begin dating

as healthy weight teens. That makes heavy girls and to lesser extent heavy boys with

fewer opportunities to forge romantic relationships during adolescence and develop the

relationship skills they need later on, when couples face very adult demands.

Paredes (n.d.), said that obesity has become the number one enemy of humanity,

creating an epidemic that has taken an accelerated pace in recent years, affecting health,

labor, development, of civilization. It becomes a number one cause of death due to our

own behavior, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise. If this trends continues, we will

have a collapse of infrastructure, making it impossible to ensure the health of millions

with diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart attack, new cases of cancer, and

other related illness affecting the entire human race. The worst epidemic in the history of

the world affecting human race is killing us all.

2.2 Related Studies

In the book written by Lloyd (2016), after surveying more than 5,700 workers

from a variety of industries, the irrefutable conclusion was that when people are at work

they tend to gain weight. In fact of the wide range of individuals surveyed, 44%

responded that they gained weight in their current job. The researchers also found that

26% of the surveyed workers gained more than ten pounds, and 14% gained over twenty

pounds. There is even a common expression that describes the weight gain that is
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associated with work it is called the office fifteen. Much like the freshman fifteen

referring to the typical weight of a college freshman adjusting to a new life of pizza and

partying, the office fifteen stands for fifteen pounds that employee likely to gain in the

first few months of taking on an office job. And worse, the odds are that they will gain

even more weight over the years to come.

The obesity pandemic is not just confined to the United States, nor is the

relationship between work and weight gain. They are approximately 2.1 billion

overweight adults in the world, and international studies have come up with similar

finding regarding working and waistlines. A two year study found out that an individual

spends over thirty-five hours per week were more likely to gain weight than those who

worked fewer hours or were outside of the workforce together. The message is loud and

clear the more a person work, the more a person gain.

The added weight that comes from a person job is a lose proposition for you and

your employer. With the extra pounds that job is foisting on, theres an increased risk of

cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, type 2 diabetes, and even death. When a

person is carrying around excess weight, it can be more difficult for you to carry out their

job responsibilities at peak levels. In todays competitive workplaces, any such slippage

is likely to be noticed, and not in a favorable light. From the standpoint of lose-lose, a

person might lose a job.

Employers also lose because of workers weight gain-obese employees tend to be

sick more often. And when people are out because of illness, there can be numerous

operational problems in terms of coordination, communication, productivity, and overall

output. At the same time, there can be morale issues among the other employees who
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have to do extra work because of the absences of co-workers. And further, there can be

additional cost in insurance premiums for the employer as a result of the frequency and

magnitude of medical claims.

In 2013, the American Medical Association officially declared obesity to be a

disease. Whats a major cause of this epidemic? A persons job. The only thing that

should be fat on an individual job is your paycheck.

In study of Casimero (2008), it was investigated that obesity can affect not only

the persons health but also work performance. If people are sick, they cannot perform

their job well. Inasmuch as people nowadays are prone to unhealthy lifestyle, many

school administrators try to address this issue of concern by establishing fitness programs

in their school to promote a healthy workforce. The socio-economic status of the

participants indicated that they are financially stable which might possibly enable them to

afford unhealthy and weight-increasing behaviors like eating in fast food restaurants and

others. Age is a good predictor of income, wherein the higher the age, the more likely that

the participant has a higher income. Income is inversely associated with fat predictor

scores.

In relation, Sassi (2010) discussed that obese persons have less likely to have a

job than a normal-weight person. The obese have fewer chances of success when they

seek employment and they tend to spend longer periods of time unemployed. The

probability of regaining employment after a period of unemployment is similarly lower

for those with a higher BMI. There is some evidence that obese are especially

disadvantaged in finding employment in occupations involving direct personal contact

with customers (Rooth, 2007). Obese are also more likely to be inactive (unemployed and
 21

not actively seeking employment) (Cawley and Danziger, 2005; Klarenbach et al., 2006)

either because they are in poor health and unable to work, they are discouraged by their

lack of success in obtaining employment, or they lack the incentives to pursue a condition

(employment) that they may find more distressing and less enjoyable than people of

normal weight do, on average.

A number of studies provide evidence on the clear link between obesity and

employment in men and women, and reach the conclusion that the association reflected a

causal effect of obesity on labor market outcomes (e.g. Morris, 2007; Tunceli et al.,

2006). On the other hand, other related studies have different findings either a weak link

between obesity and employment, type or sector of occupation (Garcia Villar and

Quintana-Domeque, 2006), or no link at all (Cawley, 2000). However, the balance of

evidence points to a negative influence of obesity on employment, especially, but not

exclusively, for women.

Psychologists and sociologists have tried to ascertain whether the negative

influence of obesity on employment is the result of systematic discrimination by

prospective employers. Roehling (1999) reviewed the findings of 17 separate

laboratory studies on obesity-related discrimination in employment dating from 1979.

In these experiments, subjects were asked to make hiring and promotion decisions on

hypothetical candidates where the only difference was a verbal or graphic manipulation

of the candidates weight. Those studies consistently found discrimination on the basis of

weight in all aspects of employment (including selection, placement, compensation,

promotion, and discharge).

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But discrimination is a complex phenomenon, which does not always, or not

exclusively, reflect prejudicial attitudes. A number of authors have preferred to use the

concept of statistical discrimination (e.g. Lundborg et al., 2010) to reflect attitudes

based on (statistically founded) expectations concerning the skills, physical fitness and

productivity of obese men and women. Obesity, in this case, becomes a marker of

diminished individual potential in the labor market.

Obesity affects employment to different degrees in different racial and ethnic

groups. This has been studied mostly in the United States (Cawley, 2000; Cawley and

Danziger, 2005) where white women who are severely obese are substantially more likely

than average to be out of work (42.2% vs. 31%), while the same condition makes

virtually no difference among African American women. Obesity is more common,

therefore possibly less stigmatised, among African-American women, and it is not

associated with decreased self-esteem in African-American women as much as it is in

white women (Averett and Korenman, 1996).

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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes in detail the methods and procedures that the researcher

used in this study. It includes research design, (2) respondents of the study, (3) local of

the study (4) sample and sampling procedures, (5) research instruments, (6) data

collection procedure, and (7) statistical treatment.

3.1 Research Design

This study utilized descriptive-correlational method of research in order to know

the correlates of obesity among the select 203 female MSU-IIT employee-respondents

(both faculty and staff).

The researcher prepared a letter of permission requesting data from Ms. Alethea

Barbara Balag, a graduating MSPE student of the said school who is currently conducting

her graduate thesis entitled, Stress Level and Health Status among Women Employees of

MSU-IIT, and who formulated, distributed and administered the self-made questionnaire

from the select 203 MSU-IIT female employee-respondents in the school year 2016-

2017. The collected data from the respondents were then analyzed to find out and answer

the queries of the study.

3.2 Respondents of the Study

The select 203 respondents of the study were the MSU-IIT female employee-

respondents (both faculty and staff) in the school year 2016-2017.

 24

3.3 Locale of the Study

This study was conducted in MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology

3.4 Sample and Sampling Procedures

This study used the non-probability purposive sampling method in choosing the

select 203 female MSU-IIT employee-respondents (both faculty and staff) with the age

ranges from 21-64 years old.

3.5 Research Instruments

This study generated data from the adopted self-made questionnaire and Tanita

Scale for measuring weight. The adopted self-made questionnaire consisted of three (3)

parts. The first part of included relevant descriptive such as age, marital status, monthly

income, and BMI. The second part contained the physical activity of the respondents and

part three, the food preferences of the respondents.

3.6 Data Collection Procedure

The following are the steps taken in gathering the data for the research study:

1. In order to determine the sample population which was needed for the inquiry, the

researcher prepared a letter of permission requesting data from Ms. Alethea

Barbara Balag, a graduating MSPE student of the said school who is currently

conducting her graduate thesis entitled, Stress Level and Health Status among

Women Employees of MSU-IIT, and who formulated, distributed and

administered the self-made questionnaire from the select 203 MSU-IIT female

employee-respondents (both faculty and staff) in the school year 2016-2017.

 25

2. A letter of permission was prepared for Ms. Alethea Barbara Balag. The letter was

signed by the researcher, noted by the thesis adviser; and

3. After getting the collected data, the responses were tabulated, analyzed and

interpreted.

3.7 Statistical Treatment

In the treatment of the data, the following statistical tools were used in
summarizing and analyzing the data in order to arrive at the correct interpretation.
Descriptive Statistics, Frequency of Count and Percentage were used to describe
the profile of the respondents in general which utilize these formula:
1. Frequency Count and Percentage
(n/N) x 100 = %

Where:
n sample
N total population

3. Weighted Mean
In measuring the average weighted mean, the formula will be used:

2. Cramers Contingency Coefficient

Where:

L = is the minimum of the number

3. Spearman Rank Correlation formula;

r
xy
x2 y 2
CHAPTER 4

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

 26

This chapter focuses on the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of the data to give

answers to the questions this study set out to examine and answer, and the interpretation

of the findings.

4.1 Respondents Profile

The profile of the respondents in this study consists of the following areas: Age,

Marital Status, Monthly Income, Types of Respondents, Physical Activity, Food

Preference and Body Mass Index.

Table 4.1.1. Age Distribution of the Respondents

Age Frequency Percent

21-30 85 41.90
31-40 46 22.70
41-50 36 17.70
51-60 27 13.30
61 and above 9 4.40
Total 203 100.00

Table 4.1.1 shows the age of the respondents. It can be gleaned that majority of
the respondents belonged to 21-30 years old which has a frequency of 85 (41.90%)
followed by respondents having 31-40 years old with a frequency of 46 (22.70%) and 41-
50 years old with a frequency of 36 (17.70%). Twenty-seven of the respondents fall under
51-60 years old and nine respondents fall under 61 years old and above having 13.30%
and 4.40% respectively.

Table 4.1.2 Marital Status Distribution of the Respondents

 27

Marital Status Frequency Percent

Single 78 38.4
Married 115 56.7
Widow 5 2.5
Separated 5 2.5
Total 203 100.00

Table 4.1.2 presents the marital status distribution of the respondents. Majority of
the respondents are married (115 or 56.70%) which is followed by single respondents (78
or 38.40%). Respondents whose marital statuses are widow and separated both tallied
five or 2.5%.

Table 4.1.3 Monthly Income Distribution of the Respondents

Monthly Income Frequency Percent

20,000 and below (Low Income) 83 40.90

20,001-30,000 (Middle Income Group) 58 28.60

Above 30,000 ( High Income Group) 62 30.50

Total 203 100.00

*2007income classification by the National Statistical Coordination Board

Table 4.1.3 presents the monthly income distribution of the respondents. As can
be gleaned, majority of the respondents income range from 10, 000 - 20, 000 (83 or
40.90%) followed by 30, 000 above (62 or 30.50%). Only 58 of them earn 20, 001 - 30,
000 with 28.60%.

Table 4.1.4 Types of Respondents Distribution

 28

Work Position Frequency Percent

Faculty 132 65.00

Staff 71 35.00

Total 203 100.00

Table 4.1.1 presents the total population of the respondents categorized according
to the Types of Respondent. As shown in the table, there are about 65.00% or 132
Faculty, and 35.00% or 71 Staff from the different Cost Centers of MSU-IIT. Majority of
the respondents are teachers because MSU-IIT is an educational institution which
employs more instructors than college staff.

Table 4.1.5. Physical Activity Participation Distribution of the Respondents

Do you participate in physical activities? Frequency Percent

Yes 145 71.4

No 58 28.6
Total 203 100.00

Table 4.1.5 shows the physical activity involvement of the respondents. Majority

of the respondents (71.4%) participate or get involve in physical activities while only 58

or 28.6% of the respondents do physical activities. This means that most of the

respondents understand the benefits of keeping fit on health.

 29

Table 4.1.6. Food Preference Distribution of the Respondents

What type of food do you usually eat? Frequency Percent

Vegetarian food 29 14.3
Non-vegetarian food 174 85.7
Total 203 100.00

Table 4.1.6 shows the type of food the respondents usually eat. Most of the
respondents preferred to eat non-vegetarian food (85.7%), and only 14.3% from the total
population who preferred to eat vegetarian foods

Table 4.1.7 Body Mass Index Distributions of the Respondents

BODY MASS INDEX OF Frequency Percent

THE RESPONDENTS
Underweight 8 3.94
(<18.5)

Normal 136 67.00

(18.5-24.9)
Overweight 45 22.17
(25-29.9)
Obesity 14 6.90
(BMI of 30 or greater)
Total 203 100.0

Table 4.1.7 shows the body mass index (BMI) distribution of the respondents.

Majority of the respondents are weighted normal with 136 out of 203 (67%) from the

faculty employees both faculty and staffs while 45 of them are weighted overweight with

33.27%.There are 14(6.90%) employees both faculty and staffs that had been weighted

Obese. Only 8(3.94%) of them are underweight.

 30

TABLE 4.2 Contingency Coefficient at 0.05 level of Significance for Relationship

between Independent Variables such as Physical Activity and Food Preference and

Obesity which is Measured in Terms of Body Mass Index among MSU-IIT

employees both the Faculty and Staff.

To answer the first null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship

between the independent variables such as physical activity and food preference and

obesity which is measured in terms of body mass index among the female MSU-IIT

employees both faculties and staffs. Table 4.2.1, Table 4.2.2, Table 4.2.3 and Table 4.2.4

are present below.

TABLE 4.2.1. Relationship Between Independent Variables such as Physical Activity

and Obesity which is Measured in Terms of Body Mass Index for the Faculty

Respondents

Involve in Category
Physical Total
Activities Normal Obese Overweight Underweight
Yes 62 7 20 3 92
No 23 5 11 1 40
Total 85 12 31 4 132
Contingency
P value =0.658 Not Significant
Coefficient =0.110

Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not

significant.

As depicted above from the Table 4.2.1 there is no significant association between

physical activities and BMI category of the female faculty-respondents with contingency

coefficient of 0.110 (p value =0.658) as reflected in Table 4.2.1, Therefore, it means that
 31

we do not have sufficient evidence to conclude that involvement in physical activities of

the faculty employees is associated with BMI category, there might be other factors that

will affect the respondents body mass index (BMI). This can be their food and the

quality of foods they take.

Faculty members physical activity is not connected with weight or BMI probably

because a MSU-IIT workplace is not a technologically advance place that you will work,

you have to walk manually from college to college, so the employees are physically

active in walking, 30 mins of walk is already enough for a healthy life.

This supported a 2011 meta-analysis, a study of studies, looked at the relationship

between physical activity and fat mass, and found that being active is probably not the

key determinant in whether an individual is at an unhealthy weight. In the adult

population, interventional studies have difficulty showing that a physically active person

is less likely to gain excess weight than a sedentary person. Further, studies of energy

balance, and there are many of them, show that total energy expenditure and physical

activity levels in developing and industrialized countries are similar, making activity and

exercise unlikely to be the cause of differing obesity rates.

Moreover, exercise increases ones appetite. After all, when an individual burn off

calories being active, the body will often signal you to replace them. Research confirms

this. A 2012 systematic review of studies that looked at how people complied with

exercise programs showed that over time, people wound up burning less energy with

exercise than predicted and also increasing their caloric intake.

 32

TABLE 4.2.2 Relationship Between Independent Variables such as Physical Activity

and Obesity which is Measured in Terms of Body Mass Index for the Staff

Respondents

Involve in Category
Physical Total
Activities Normal Obese Overweight Underweight
Yes 39 1 10 3 53
No 12 1 4 1 18
Total 51 2 14 4 71
Contingency
P value =0.847 Not Significant
Coefficient =0.106

Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not
significant.

In Table 4.2.2, it also shows that there is no significant association between

physical activities and BMI category of the female staff respondents with contingency

coefficient of 0.106 (p value =0.847). This implies that the respondents engage in various

physical activities and/or health programs. Also, the nature of their works might demand

physical movements such as going from office to office and vice-versa.

Both the faculties and staffs showed that physical activities does not connect their

BMI, same reason with the faculty workplace itself of the employees is a place wherein

you have to walk within the campus and this makes them being physically active every

day.

In addition, exercise helps to control weight. When people use more calories than

they eat in their daily food, they lose weight. When combined with properly controlled

diet, exercise helps to burn up body fat and slim the figure. Generally speaking, exercise

helps people maintain their ideal weight (Johnson, 1992).

 33

TABLE 4.2.3 Relationship Between Independent Variables such as Food Preference

and Obesity which is Measured in Terms of Body Mass Index for the Faculty

Respondents

Food Body Mass Index (BMI)

preference Normal Obese Overweight Underweight Total
Vegetarian 6 0 7 0 13
Non-
79 12 24 4 119
vegetarian
Total 85 12 31 4 132
Contingency
P value =0.043 Significant
Coefficient =0.241
Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not
significant.

As reflected in the Table 4.2.3, there is a significant association between food

preference and BMI category of the female faculty-respondents with contingency

coefficient of 0.241 (p value =0.043). Therefore, we have sufficient evidence to conclude

that food preference is associated with BMI category. Also depicted in the table is that

higher proportions of vegetarian faculty respondents have normal weight than non-

vegetarian respondents. Also, 10% and 3% of the non-vegetarian respondents are obese

and underweight respectively, while none of the vegetarian respondents are obese and

underweight.

Faculty employees food preference is connected with weight or BMI probably

because they have higher monthly income than the staff. This means that more income

suggests more foods purchased with high caloric values.

In the study of Burns (2012), it was mentioned that veganism is generally

recognized for its ability to reduce the risks of developing everything from obesity and

heart disease, to cancer and kidney disease. The worlds most nutrition-consciousness

doctors now recognize that vegetarians tend to be healthier than meat eaters. Meat and
 34

other animal products are loaded with fat and cholesterol, which lead to obesity. Almost

20 percent of Filipino are overweight.

TABLE 4.2.4 Relationship Between Independent Variables such as Food Preference

and Obesity which is Measured in terms of Body Mass Index for the Staff

Respondents

Food Body Mass Index (BMI)

preference Normal Obese Overweight Underweight Total
Vegetarian 10 0 5 1 16
Non-
41 2 9 3 55
vegetarian
Total 51 2 14 4 71
Contingency
P value =0.524 Not Significant
Coefficient =0.175
Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not
significant.

As shown in Table 4.2.4, there is no significant association between food

preference and BMI category of the female staff-respondents with contingency

coefficient of 0.175 (p value =0.524). Again, this suggests that with the nature of the job

position occupied as monthly salary may entail to their basic needs and priorities.

Staff employees food preference is not connected with weight or BMI probably

because, the female staff monthly income may not be enough to include food that is

luxurious, as depicted in the table only few of them are overweight and obese, and most

of them are normal BMI though they are not vegetarian, and that female staffs food is

limited because of the lower income, means they have fewer choice of food to eat.

This supported with the theory in magazine entitled the vegetarian advantage it

was said that throughout the history, vegetarianism has been woven into the cultures
 35

around the world. Many of the worlds greatest philosophers and intellects like Plato,

Socrates, Plotinus, Plutarch, Newton, Voltaire, Shelley, Darwin, Emerson and Shaw

refused to eat meat. It took great courage for these people to become advocates of

vegetarianism in their times.

TABLE 4.3 Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient and Contingency Coefficient at

0.05 level of Significance for Independent and Dependent Variables versus the

Moderating Variables such as age, marital status, and monthly income.

To answer the second null hypothesis that the moderating variables such as age,

marital status, monthly income and types of respondents, do not interplay in the

relationship between obesity and independent variables such as physical activity and food

preference among MSU-IIT employees Table 4.3 shows the result of spearman rank

correlation coefficient on the various independent and dependent variable versus

moderating variables.

TABLE 4.3.1 Relationship between moderating variables such as age and monthly

income and obesity which is measured in Body Mass Index for Faculty Respondents

Relationship between Spearman Rank P value Remarks

BMI and the following Correlation
Coefficient
Age 0.409 0.000 Significant
Monthly Income 0.333 0.000 Significant

Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant relationship, otherwise not
significant.

As depicted in the Table 4.3.1, there is a significant positive relationship between

Age and BMI of the female faculty-respondents with a correlation value of 0.409 (p value

=0.000). This implies that as age increases, their body mass index (IBM) also increases.
 36

The same can be said with Income with correlation value of 0.333 and p value of 0.000.

The results are validated of several studies that indeed, obesity can occur at any age, but

as one age, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle increase the risk of obesity. In

addition, the amount of muscle in the body tends to decrease with age. This lower muscle

mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs, and can

make it harder to keep off excess weight.

In terms of monthly income, the study of Mussen (2011) validated that more than

two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight. With a few seconds of

basic math, you realize that being normal weight it no longer the norm, less than one in

three American adults is of a normal weight is no longer the norm, fewer than one in

three American adults is of a normal or healthy weight.

Moreover, studies showed that high-income countries have greater rates of obesity

than middle- and low-income countries. Countries that develop wealth also develop

obesity; for instance, with economic growth in China and India, obesity rates have

increased by several-fold. The international trend is that greater obesity tracks with

greater wealth. The U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and accordingly

has high obesity rates; one-third of the population has obesity plus another third is

overweight.

It was investigated the that socio-economic status of the participants indicated that

they are financially stable which might possibly enable them to afford unhealthy and

weight-increasing behaviors like eating in fast food restaurants and others. Age is a good

predictor of income, wherein the higher the age, the more likely that the participant has a

higher income. Income is inversely associated with fat predictor scores (Casimero, 2008).
 37

TABLE 4.3.2 Relationship Between Moderating Variables such as Age and Monthly

Income and Obesity which is Measured in Body Mass Index for Staff Respondents

Relationship between Spearman Rank P value Remarks

BMI and the following Correlation Coefficient
Age 0.284 0.016 Significant
Monthly Income 0.035 0.775 Not Significant

Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not
significant.

As reflected in Table 4.3.2, there is a significant positive relationship between Age

and BMI of the female staff-respondents with correlation value of 0.284 (p value =0.016).

Therefore, we have sufficient evidence to conclude that there is a significant positive

relationship between Age and BMI category. This implies that as age increases their BMI

index also increases.

On the other hand, there is no significant relationship between income and BMI

index of the staff-respondents with correlation value of 0.035 and p value of 0.775. This

means that the monthly income of the respondents may be intended or allotted to buy

their basic needs only and other priorities and thus it can be seen in the result that it

suggest that the more income means bigger BMI, lesser income means normal BMI.

TABLE 4.3.3 Relationship Between Moderating Variables such as Marital Status

and Obesity which is Measured in Body Mass Index for Faculty Respondents

Body Mass Index (BMI) Category

Normal Obese Overweight Underweight Total
Status Single 39 0 7 3 49
Married 43 12 23 1 79
Widow 1 0 0 0 1
Separated 2 0 1 0 3
Total 85 12 31 4 132
Contingency Coefficient P value =0.050 Not Significant
 38

=0.337

Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not
significant.

Table 4.3.3 showed that there is no significant association between marital status

and BMI category of the female faculty-respondents with contingency coefficient of

0.337 (p value =0.050). Therefore, we do not have sufficient evidence to conclude that

marital status of the faculty is associated with BMI category.

Marital status has also been shown to be associated with BMI and most cross-

sectional studies tend to find that married people are more often overweight and obese

than those living alone. This is supported by the theory that once a woman will be

married, they will start to become obese specially after you give birth to a baby, It will

not be easy to lose weight by then.

TABLE 4.3.4 Relationship Between Moderating Variables such as Marital Status

and Obesity which is Measured in Body Mass Index for Staff Respondents

Body Mass Index (BMI) Category

Normal Obese Overweight Underweight Total
Status Single 24 1 1 3 29
Married 22 1 12 1 36
Widow 4 0 0 0 4
Separated 1 0 1 0 2
Total 51 2 14 4 71
Contingency
P value = 0.170 Not Significant
Coefficient=0.391
 39

Note: If p value is less than 0.05, then there is a significant association, otherwise not
significant.

As stipulated in Table 4.3.2, there is no significant association between marital

status and BMI category female staff-respondents with contingency coefficient of 0.391

(p value =0.170). On the contrary, the marital status has not shown any association with

BMI.

Both the faculties and staffs showed no effect of their marital status on their BMI,

the researchers view on this, based on the result that the single female faculties most of

them are normal and only a few are overweight, maybe the few ones are stressed on the

work, that is why they are overweight and the married female faculties have a higher

number of obese and overweight. After marriage, both men and women tend to gain some

weight, according to a study that followed over 10,000 people to better understand the

impact of peoples marital status on their health. Using data from the National

Longitudinal Survey of Youth a biannual survey of men and women from 1986 to 2008

researchers tracked the body mass index (BMI) of folks who were never married, were

married or were divorced. The results showed that within two years of marriage most

couples BMI values increased. But divorce also turned out to be a significant marker.

But in the female staff employees single or married most of them are normal itd

probably because of the monthly income again, whatever marital status they will have but

they have a lower monthly income, fewer choices of foods and busy moving from

working, most of them will still not be affected on the marital status.

Table 4.4 Researchers Action Plan of the Study

 40

The researchers action plan of the study will be a lecture about advocacy against

obesity, this action plan was inspired by the late first lady Michelle Obama to her

advocacy against obesity. This action plan aims to the female MSU-IIT employees both

faculties and staffs that can help make schools healthier places to work by providing

quality nutrition, integrating physical activity during the work day, and teaching female

MSU-IIT employees about the importance of embracing a healthy active lifestyle.

5 Simple Ways to Fight Obesity in MSU-IIT Campus

1. Create a School Health Create or become an active member of the

Advisory Council school health advisory council. The council
should include female MSU-IIT employees
both the faculties and staffs
Guide your process on implementing healthy
eating and physical activity policies and
environment using the CDCs make a
Difference at Your School: Key Strategies to
Prevent Obesity.
The council can assess your schools physical
education, physical activity, and nutrition
policies and environments using the CDCs
School Health Index.
Conduct a walkability assessment of the
area around your school to identify unsafe
crossings, broken sidewalks, or other
environmental factors that deter female MSU-
IIT employees from walking to school. The
Department of Land Transportation office of
Iligan offers a walkability checklist that
your workplace can use.
Make sure vending machines and stalls offer
healthy options.
Encourage employees to bring fruits or other
non-food treats for celebrating birthdays.
Consider what is being sold through

2. Join the Healthier Philippine
School Employees Challenge
41
fundraisers and choose companies that
provide non-food options, such as plants,
candles, or wrapping paper.
Work with families with special needs,
chronic health conditions, or disabilities to
ensure that physical activities are part of the
students learning plan, during and after
school.
The Healthier Philippine Schools Challenge
establishes rigorous criteria for schools food
quality, participation in meal programs,
physical activity, physical education, and
nutrition education the key components that
make for healthy and active MSU-IIT
employees and provides recognition for
schools that meet these criteria.
Schools can participate in this model program
by going to
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.
html and learning about the range of
educational and technical assistance materials
that promote key aspects of the Dietary
Guidelines, including a Menu Planner for
Healthy School Meals, which provides tips on
serving more whole grains, fruits, and
vegetables, and lower amounts of sugar,
sodium, and saturated and trans fats in school
menus.
Major school food suppliers in more than 75%
of Americas schools along with principals,
superintendents, and school board members
across Philippines have committed to work
together to improve the health of our students
by meeting the Institute of Medicines
recommendations within five years to
decrease the amount of sugar, fat and salt in
school meals; increase whole grains; and
double the amount of produce they serve
within 10 years. With these commitments,
 42

employees will receive more nutritious meals

in school and have better information on the
importance of healthy eating, putting them on
track to a healthier life.
Over the next school year, the Philippine
Department of Agriculture, working with
partners in schools and the private sector, will
double the number of schools that meet the
Healthier Philippine Schools Challenge and
add 1,000 schools per year for two years after
that.

3. Make Your School a Be a role model to the employees for a healthy

Healthy Worksite lifestyle. Encourage all employees to be active
and consume healthy foods and beverages.
Evaluate worksite policies for faculties and
other school staff.
Determine employee health related costs.

Identify nutrition and physical activity

interests and needs of school employees.
Establish goals for improving healthy
behaviors among staff (e.g., increase the
proportion of school employees that meet the
national physical activity guidelines.)
Obtain administrative support for school
employee wellness programs that offer a
variety of healthy eating and physical
activities for staff.
Implement a variety of healthy eating and
physical activities that emphasize health
education, skill building, and changes to the
school environment.
Consider making changes to create healthier
workplace, such as including incentives for
physical activity or walking or biking instead
of driving to school.

4. Incorporate Nutrition
Education and Physical
Education into the Employees
5. Plant a School Garden
43
Encourage walking meetings, or make
athletic facilities and equipment available to
staff after hours.
Lead by example. Walk with your students,
and eat with them.
Engage employees in healthy eating and
physical activity concepts by making them
age appropriate and relevant to their daily
lives and experiences.
Teach all MSU-IIT female employees both
faculties and staff to choose proper die.
Have all employees learn about weights and
measures using fruits and vegetables from the
school garden.
Older employees can learn about nutrition
through calorie counts and daily nutritional
value charts.
School gardens offer opportunities for fun and
physical activity while also serving as an
important educational tool to help employees
understand how healthful food is produced.
Some research suggests that school gardens
used as part of a nutrition education strategy
can increase knowledge of fruits and
vegetables and influence behavior change
among the MSU-IIT employees.
Plant an outside or inside fruit, vegetable, or
herb garden that employees are responsible
for tending to and growing. Enjoy the fruits
of your labor at harvest time!
Help MSU-IIT employees develop a
partnership with local businesses, parents, or
other community groups, such as the
Cooperative Extension Service if resources
are an issue. Many communities have master
 44

gardener programs that could help.

Incorporate school gardens into classroom
lessons (e.g., science, cooking) to provide
female MSU-IIT employees with hands on,
multi-disciplinary learning activities. Food
service staff can make female MSU-IIT
employees more familiar with the school
garden produce through taste tests and
learning food preparation techniques for a
healthy meal.
Schools can further make the link between
agriculture and nutritious food by inviting
local farmers markets to operate from area
school yards.

CHAPTER 5

Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations

of the study based on the foregoing considerations of the significant findings.

Summary

1. The respondents were 21 to 64 years old female employees of MSU-IIT, Iligan

City. Out of 203 respondents, 71 were staff, in which 16 or 22.5% were

 45

overweight and out of 132 were female faculty, in which 43 or 32% were

overweight. Thus, out of 203 female MSU-IIT employee-respondent, 26% of

them were overweight or obese.

2. In terms of age, both female faculty and staff showed significant positive

relationship between Age and BMI of the respondents with a correlation value of

0.409 (p value =0.000).

3. In terms of monthly income, there was a significant positive relationship with

their monthly income with a correlation value of 0.333 and p value of 0.000.

However, for the staff, there was no significant relationship between income and

BMI index with a correlation value of 0.035 and p value of 0.775.

4. In terms of marital status, both female faculty and staff showed no significant

association between civil status and BMI category with contingency coefficient of

0.337 (p value =0.050).

5. In terms of food preference, the female faculty showed a significant association

between food preference and BMI category with contingency coefficient of 0.241

(p value =0.043). As depicted in the results of the study, higher proportions of

vegetarian faculty respondents had normal weight than non-vegetarian

respondents. Also, 10% and 3% of the non-vegetarian respondents were obese and

underweight respectively, while none of the vegetarian respondents were obese,

while the staff showed no significant association between food preference and

BMI category with contingency coefficient of 0.175 (p value =0.524).

 46

6. In terms of physical activities, both female faculty and staff showed no significant

association between physical activities and BMI category with contingency

coefficient of 0.110 (p value =0.658).

Conclusions

Based on the analysis and interpretation of the data elicited from the respondents

the following conclusions of the study are drawn:

1. The respondents were working female MSU-IIT employees (both faculty and

staff) with age ranges from 21-64 years old. Hence, as age increases, the body

mass index also increases.

2. The respondents showed different results due to differences of monthly income

between faculty and staff where the faculty income is higher than the staff,

making the faculty having higher rate of body mass index increase than that of the

staff.

3. The marital status of female MSU-IIT employees did not affect the body mass

index of both respondents.

4. In terms of food preferences, the faculty body mass index were of higher

proportions wherein, the vegetarian faculty-respondents had normal weight than

non-vegetarian respondents, and the non-vegetarian respondents were determined

to be obese and underweight.

5. In terms of physical activities, female MSU-IIT employees did not affect the body

mass index.

Recommendations
 47

After analyzing the findings of this research, the following recommendations are

hereby presented:

1. In order to decrease the number of obesity, practice recommendations should be

thoroughly studied;

2. All concerned agencies (both private and public) should strengthen their health

care efforts in providing or educating them;

3. In conducting ground-breaking researches, it is encouraged to have multi-

disciplinary and multi-level collaborations between and among government and

non-government organizations as well as the stakeholders;

4. There should be updating of current guidelines to be able to come up with high-

quality, evidence-based recommendations that are effective and efficient across

disciplines;

5. It is hoped that all stakeholders in the field of obesity will come together to act

against obesity; and

6. It is hoped that similar study may be done to include the male MSU-IIT faculty

and staff-respondents.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Toney, A. (2008). Health at Risk Obesity. United States of America: Cherry Lake
Publishing.

Kathleen, K. (2008). Encyclopedia of Obesity. Thousand Oaks, California 91320: SAGE

Publications, Inc.
 48

Robin, B. (2016) Obesity: The Medical Practitioner's Essential Guide, Banner of

University Medical Center, University of Arizona. USA: Springer Publications.

Sarah, V. (2014). XL LOVE: How the Obesity Crisis Complicating Americas Love life.
USA: Rodale Publications.

Lauren, M., & Eric R. (2011). Obesity 101. New York, NY 10036: Springer Publishing
Company LLC.

Oscar, P., & Jose, P. (2011). Obesity Public Enemy #1 or Death. USA: Xlibris
Corporation.

Ken, L., & Stacey, L. (2016). Is your Job making you Fat?.. 307 West 36 th Street, 11th
Floor, New York. NY 10018: Skyhorse Publishing.

Franco, S. (2010). Obesity and the Economics of Prevention Fit not Fat. USA: OECD
Publishing.

Susan, M., & Catherine, C. (2005). Fat is Not Your Fate. New York, NY 10020:
FIRESIDE.

Online Sources

Author's name. (Date of publication). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from full
URL.

Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and

Obesity in ADULTS. (1998). Retrieved September 13, 2015, from
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/ob_gdlns.pdf.

Trisha, M. (2014). 3 out of 10 Filipino adults are overweight, obese report. Retrieved
September 13, 2015, from
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/384493/lifestyle/healthandwellness/3-
out-of-10-filipino-adults-are-overweight-obese-report.

Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PAASO). (n.d.).
Retrieved September 13, 2015, from
http://www.thefilipinodoctor.com/cpm_pdf/CPM3rd%20Weight
%20Management.pdf.

Ted, T. (2014). Phl leads countries with highest obesity levels. Retrieved September 13,
2015, from http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/10/20/1382165/phl-leads-
countries-highest-obesity-levels.

What Are Causes of Obesity?, (n.d.) Retrieved September 13, 2015, from
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/obesity/page2_em.htm.
 49

Themistoklis, T. (2010). Marital status and educational level associated to obesity in

Greek adults: data from the National Epidemiological Survey, Retrieved
September 13, 2015, from
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-10-732.

The State of Obesity. (2016). Retrieved September 13, 2015, from

http://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity/ .

Timi, G. (2016). Both Marriage and Divorce Can Cause Weight Gain. Food and Health
with Timi Gustafson. Retrieved September 13, 2015, from
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-
projects/project_apa_format_examples.shtml.

Unpublished Thesis

Gina, Casimero. (2008). Weight loss methods and body mass index (BMI) among the
obese and overweight employees of La Salle Academy of Iligan City. Iligan City:
CED, MSU-IIT.

Appendix A

LETTER OF PERMISSION

Republic of the Philippines

Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga, 9200 Iligan City

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
 50

_____________________
Date
Maam Alethea Barbara Balag
MSU-IIT COOP
Iligan City
9200

Dear Madame:

I am a BSED MAPEH student who is currently conducting my undergraduate

thesis entitled, CORRELATES OF FEMALE OBESITY AMONG THE
EMPLOYEES OF MSU-IIT in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
EDUC 199 (Thesis Writing).

In this view, may I request you to allow me to use your collected data in the
conduct of my study? The data you provide will be greatly appreciated.

Rest assured that all information that you will provide will be kept confidential
and will be used for academic purposes only.

Thank you very much for your support and power.

Respectfully yours,

Grace A. Soliguen
Researcher
Noted by:

Dr. Corazon T. Biong

Thesis Adviser
Appendix B

LETTER TO THE PANEL MEMBER

Republic of the Philippines

Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga, 9200 Iligan City

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
 51

December 2, 2016
Prof. Cherlita C. Cudal
MSU-IIT
Iligan City
9200

Prof. Cherlita C. Cudal,

I am a BSED MAPEH student who is currently conducting my undergraduate

thesis entitled, CORRELATES OF FEMALE OBESITY AMONG THE
EMPLOYEES OF MSU-IIT in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
EDUC 199 (Thesis Writing).

The undersigned would like to request you to be one of the panel members in our
thesis writhing as an output of the course ED199 scheduled on December 6, 2016 (10:00
am-11:00am) at the audiovisual room.

Your valuable inputs to the improvement of our paper are highly appreciated.
Thank you so much!

Respectfully yours,

Grace A. Soliguen
Researcher
Conformed by:

PROF. CHERLITA C. CUDAL

Panel Member
Appendix B

LETTER TO THE PANEL MEMBER

Republic of the Philippines

Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga, 9200 Iligan City

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
 52

December 2, 2016
Prof. Joselito Baldonado
MSU-IIT
Iligan City
9200

Prof. Joselito Baldonado,

I am a BSED MAPEH student who is currently conducting my undergraduate

thesis entitled, CORRELATES OF FEMALE OBESITY AMONG THE
EMPLOYEES OF MSU-IIT in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course
EDUC 199 (Thesis Writing).

The undersigned would like to request you to be one of the panel members in our
thesis writhing as an output of the course ED199 scheduled on December 6, 2016 (10:00
am-11:00am) at the audiovisual room.

Your valuable inputs to the improvement of our paper are highly appreciated.
Thank you so much!

Respectfully yours,

Grace A. Soliguen
Researcher
Conformed by:

PROF. JOSELITO BALDONADO

Panel Member

Appendix C

QUESTIONNAIRE

Direction: Please answer the following items honestly by indicating a check mark (/) in
the parentheses.

I. Profile of the Respondent

1. Name: (Optional) _______________________________________
2. Age: __________
 53

3. Monthly Income
( ) Php/10,000- 20,000
( ) Php20, 001- 30,000
( ) Php30,000 and above
4. Body Mass Index: Height: Weight:
5. Marital Status
( ) ////Single ( ) Married ( ) Widow ( ) Separated

II. Physical Activity

1. Do you participate in physical activities?
// ( ) Yes ( ) No

III. Food Preference

1. What type of food do you usually eat?
/ ( ) Vegetarian food [e.g., Diet is based on fruit, vegetables, grains and nuts
only]
/( ) Non-vegetarian food [e.g., Diet is based on animal and dairy foods, fruits,
vegetables and anything that is edible]

Appendix D

Time Table

Task Activities

A. Preparation for the Proposal

1. Writing the First Draft September 2013

2. Submission of the First Draft October 2013

3. Finalization of the Correct Proposal July 2014

4. Submission of the Proposal to the August 2014

Panel Members

5. Preparation for the Oral Defense August 2014

 54

6. Oral Defense August 2014

B. Research Proper

1. Gathering of data from November 2016

Maam Alethea Barbara Balag

2. Statistical Treatment November 2016

3. Interpretation and Analysis of Data November 2016

4. Finalization of Final Defense December 2016

5. Final Defense December 2016

/CURRICULUM VITAE

Grace A. Soliguen
Purok Valderrama, Brgy. Sta. Filomena
Iligan City, Philippines
Mobile No.: + (63)9362780122
Email Add: gracesoliguen@gmail.com

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Date of Birth: April 12, 1995

Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Iligan City
Citizenship: Filipino
Religious Affiliation: Seventh Day Adventist
Residential Address: Purok Valderrama, Iligan City

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS
 55

Tertiary: Bachelor of Secondary Education

Major in Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health
MSU-IIT, Iligan City

Secondary: Iligan City East High School

Iligan City

Primary: Northeast I-A Central School

Iligan City