Date: June 30, 2008 (Monday)
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Venue: Seminar Room 5, LG-1/F, Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Abstract:
The objectives of the HKSOS project are to monitor the weight status of secondary school students in Hong Kong and to investigate the risk factors and consequences of obesity. The project collected anthropometric data from schools annually in 2005-6 and conducted a baseline survey in 2006-7 in 42 randomly selected secondary schools. A follow-up survey in 2007-8 is near completion. This presentation will cover the main findings of the project so far, including the prevalence and trends of obesity, body image and weight misperception, physical activities and non-exercise physical activities, dietary habits, and the physical environment. The challenges of doing school-based research and ways to foster collaboration with schools will be discussed. Future plans and potential studies that build on this project will be described.

Bio-sketch:
After graduating from the University of Sydney with Master of Public Health, Daniel Ho joined Prof TH Lam of the School of Public Health and Department of Community Medicine in the Lifestyle and Mortality (LIMOR) Study. He obtained a PhD for the study of smoking and mortality, which provided important evidence to support the amendment of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (2007) in Hong Kong with extended smoking bans and more stringent tobacco control measures. The LIMOR Study has been granted the Excellent Research Award by the Food and Health Bureau in recognition of its impact on public health policy. He has also participated in many other large-scale epidemiological studies including Youth Smoking Surveys and is the principal investigator of the Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance Project (HKSOS). He is currently Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health and Department of Community Medicine, University of Hong Kong. His major research interests are in adolescent health, smoking and obesity.

Presentation file