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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Obesity in Indian children: time trends and relationship with hypertension

Manu Raj1, K R Sundaram, Mary Paul

  • 1Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala, India.

The National Medical Journal of India
|March 14, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is rising in Indian schoolchildren, with overweight children showing higher rates of hypertension. Public health initiatives are crucial for prevention and awareness.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Limited Indian data exists on childhood obesity and hypertension prevalence.
  • This study investigates trends in childhood obesity and its link to blood pressure in Kerala, India.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine time trends in childhood obesity among schoolchildren in Ernakulam District, Kerala.
  • To determine the relationship between childhood obesity and blood pressure in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Stratified random cluster sampling of 24,842 students (ages 5-16) in 2003-04 for anthropometrics.
  • Blood pressure and anthropometric data collected from 20,263 students in 2005-06.
  • Obesity defined by BMI-for-age; hypertension determined by gender, age, and height.

Main Results:

  • Overweight prevalence increased from 4.94% (2003) to 6.57% (2005), a significant rise in both genders.
  • Overweight children were more common in urban areas and private schools, with trends concentrated in private institutions.
  • Incident hypertension (systolic or diastolic) affected 17.34% of overweight children versus 10.1% of non-overweight peers.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood obesity demonstrated a significant upward trend over a two-year period.
  • Hypertension is a common comorbidity among overweight children in this region.
  • Urgent need for enhanced public awareness campaigns and preventative strategies targeting childhood obesity and hypertension.
Abstract

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