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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Changes in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in Algerian children between 2001 and 2006

Hayet Oulamara1, Abdel Nacer Agli, Marie Laure Frelut

  • 1Nutrition and Food Technology Laboratory, INATAA, Mentouri University, Constantine, Algeria.

International Journal of Pediatric Obesity : IJPO : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|November 20, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Childhood thinness prevalence decreased significantly in Algeria between 2001 and 2006, while overweight and obesity rates rose, particularly in urban areas. This study tracked nutritional status changes in children aged 6-10.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Nutritional status in children is a key public health concern.
  • Understanding trends in thinness, overweight, and obesity is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Algeria has diverse socioeconomic regions impacting child health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the nutritional status of Algerian children aged 6-10 years.
  • To determine changes in the prevalence of thinness, overweight, and obesity from 2001 to 2006.
  • To analyze these changes based on geographical (urban/rural) and economic factors.

Main Methods:

  • Annual cross-sectional studies conducted from 2001 to 2006.
  • Inclusion of 19,263 children aged 6-10 years from three economically distinct areas.
  • Utilized International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and Cole's criteria for nutritional status assessment.

Main Results:

  • Overall thinness prevalence decreased from 34.3% to 24.5% (p<0.0001).
  • Overweight and obesity combined increased from 6.8% to 9.5% (p=0.001), driven by overweight excluding obesity.
  • Urban children exhibited a greater decrease in thinness and increase in overweight compared to rural children.

Conclusions:

  • Significant shifts in childhood nutritional status occurred in Algeria between 2001-2006.
  • The trend indicates a move from undernutrition towards overweight/obesity, especially in urban settings.
  • Public health strategies may need to address both undernutrition and overweight in Algerian children.

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