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Factors associated with obesity in Kuwaiti children
M A Moussa1, A A Shaltout, D Nkansa-Dwamena
1Department of Community Medicine & Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat. amoussa@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Insights
Childhood obesity in Kuwait is linked to family history and certain childhood diseases. Obese children showed adverse effects on blood lipids, insulin, and blood pressure, highlighting the need for early family-focused prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Kuwait has high adult obesity rates, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death.
- Childhood obesity presents significant health challenges, impacting metabolic profiles and cardiovascular health.
- Understanding familial and environmental factors is crucial for addressing the childhood obesity epidemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate familial and environmental factors associated with childhood obesity in Kuwait.
- To assess the adverse effects of childhood obesity on serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, insulin, and blood pressure.
- To identify key risk factors for early intervention strategies.
Main Methods:
- A pair-matched case-control study involving 460 obese school children (aged 6-13) and 460 normal-weight controls.
- Obese children were identified through a cross-sectional survey of 2400 school children from 20 schools.
- Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify associated factors, adjusting for social and behavioral variables.
Main Results:
- Obese children exhibited adverse changes in biochemical variables and blood pressure.
- A family history of obesity and the presence of diabetes mellitus, respiratory, or bone diseases in children were significant risk factors.
- Physical activity and parental social class were not found to be significant predictors of childhood obesity.
Conclusions:
- Childhood obesity in Kuwait is associated with familial factors and specific childhood diseases.
- Early preventive measures targeting families, particularly those with overweight parents, are recommended.
- Addressing childhood obesity is critical to mitigate long-term health risks, including cardiovascular disease.
Abstract:
The prevalence of adult obesity in Kuwait is among the highest in the Arab peninsula, and cardiovascular disease, for which obesity is a risk factor, is the leading cause of death. This study reports familial and environmental factors associated with childhood obesity; in addition to adverse effects of obesity on children's serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, insulin, and blood pressure profiles. The authors carried out a pair-matched case-control study including 460 obese (body mass index >90th percentile of the age/sex specific reference value of the National Center for Health Statistics), school children 6 to 13 years old matched by age and gender to 460 normal weight controls. We ascertained obese children in a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 2400 school children selected from 20 schools by multistage stratified random sampling. Biochemical variables and blood pressure were adversely affected in obese children. The conditional logistic regression analysis showed that family history of obesity, and diabetes mellitus, respiratory and bone diseases in child were significant associated factors with obesity after adjusting for social and behavioural factors. Physical activity and parental social class were not significant. We recommend early preventive measures with emphasis on families in which one or both parents are overweight.