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Risk of overweight and obesity in preschoolers attending private and philanthropic schools

Viviane Gabriela Nascimento1, Denise de Oliveira Schoeps, Sônia Buongermino de Souza

  • 1Department of Mother and Child Healthcare, Faculty of Public Health, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP. 　vivianesimon@hotmail.com

Revista Da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
|January 18, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity risk is high in São Paulo preschools. Overweight and obesity are more prevalent in private preschools compared to philanthropic ones, indicating socioeconomic factors play a role.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity are significant global health concerns.
  • Preschool age is a critical period for establishing lifelong health habits.
  • Socioeconomic status can influence dietary patterns and physical activity levels in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate and compare the prevalence of overweight and obesity risk in children attending private and philanthropic preschools in São Paulo.
  • To identify potential disparities in weight status between children in different preschool settings.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study comparing two groups of preschoolers: private preschools (PPS) and philanthropic preschools (PHP).
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores were calculated using World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines (2006, 2007).
  • Prevalence of risk for overweight (≥1 BMIz <2) and overweight/obesity (≥2 BMIz) was determined.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of risk for overweight was similar between PPS (21.9%) and PHP (24.6%).
  • However, the prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMIz ≥2) was significantly higher in children from PPS (14.3%) compared to PHP (9.0%).
  • This disparity was observed in both boys and girls, with higher prevalence in males from PPS (16.4%) versus PHP (11.1%) and females from PPS (12.5%) versus PHP (6.6%).

Conclusions:

  • While the risk of overweight was comparable, actual overweight and obesity were more common in children attending private preschools.
  • This suggests that higher socioeconomic status, often associated with private preschools, remains a risk factor for childhood obesity.
  • Further research is needed to understand the specific environmental or behavioral factors contributing to these differences.
Abstract

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