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PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AGED 7-12 YEARS (BABOL 2006)
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K Hajian, *   , P Sajadi , AR Rezvani |
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Abstract: (10085 Views) |
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Childhood obesity has become a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries because of changing the lifestyles among school children. On the other hand, malnutrition affects the health status of millions of children especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity, overweight and underweight among primary school children in Babol, Iran.
METHODS: This cross sectional study was performed on 1000 primary school children aged 7- 12 years in Babol. The data of weight and height were measured by standard method and the data of sport activities and leisure time physical activities were collected by a standard Baecke questionnaire. The diagnosis of overweight, obesity and underweight were assessed by comparing BMI (Body Mass Index) values to the BMI index for age and sex percentiles set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FINDINGS: The overall rates of underweight, overweight and obesity were 13.5%, 12.3% and 5.8%, respectively. The risk of obesity (3.8% vs. 8.8%) and overweight (12.2% vs. 12.5%) was decreased significantly among females compared with males (age adjusted OR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.96) and the risk tended to increase after 8 years. Among children with parents at the higher levels of education, the risk tended to increase. The odds ratio was significantly higher among private school children compared with public school (age adjusted OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.47-3.18) but the prevalence of underweight was more common among public school children. For each additional score of leisure time physical activity, the age adjusted OR significantly decreased (OR=0.73 95% CI: 0.56, 0.96) (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that the prevalence of obesity and overweight was higher than underweight. Thus, urgent preventive strategies are required to control the future risk of related comorbidities. |
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| Keywords: Obesity, Overweight, Underweight, Body mass index, Associated factors |
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Full-Text [PDF 355 kb]
(2717 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Biochemical
Accepted: 2014/06/3 | Published: 2014/06/3
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