ThE profile of anthRopometRy and psyChosocial issuEs on campus (TERRACE) study: A study protocol and preliminary results

Background: Obesity among the youth is a major public health problem. Globally, the burden of obesity has been on the increase, particularly among young persons, with associated psychosocial issues. This study aimed to present the rationale and design of ThE profile of anthRopometRy And psyChosocial issuEs on campus (TERRACE) Study and as well report some preliminary findings obtained on the anthropometric and psychosocial profile of young persons in some tertiary institutions in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: This study first described the methodology of the main study (TERRACE Study) and also provided a report of the preliminary data. The TERRACE study adopted a cross-sectional design of eligible and consenting adults between 16–35 years of age. A three-stage multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit the participants. Questionnaire, weighing scales, and other tools were used to collect data on socio-demographic, cardiovascular profile, sleep, anthropometric, and psychological variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis, using SPSS version 23 software. Result: The preliminary data were obtained from 225 participants recruited from three tertiary institutions in Ibadan metropolis, with mean age of 21.5 ± 3.8 years. The majority were females (77.3%) and self-employed, with an average income less than 10,000 naira monthly (less than $25/month at an exchange rate of 400 naira/dollar). The males had higher systolic blood pressure compared to females and constituted a higher proportion of current smokers compared to females (was significant (p