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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
[Childhood obesity: a health care centre reality]
Susana Branco1, Maria do Sameiro Jorge, Helena Chaves
1Serviço de Pediatria, Hospital São Teotónio, Viseu, Portugal.
Insights
Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern. This study found high prevalence rates and identified key risk factors including birth weight, sleep duration, screen time, and parental obesity, highlighting the need for preventive strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Childhood obesity presents a significant public health challenge in developed nations.
- The condition is multifactorial, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of contributing factors.
- This study focuses on a specific cohort of young children to investigate prevalence and associated risks.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 5-6-year-old children.
- To identify and analyze various risk factors associated with childhood obesity in the studied population.
- To provide data that can inform preventive strategies and public health interventions.
Summary:
- A cross-sectional study of 207 children (aged 5-6) revealed a high prevalence of overweight (46.9%) and obesity (28.5%), with girls being the majority.
- Risk factors for obesity included higher birth weight, insufficient sleep, excessive screen time, consumption of fruit juice, parental overweight/obesity, rural living, lower parental education, and number of siblings.
- Physical activity was found to be a protective factor against childhood obesity.
Impact:
- The findings underscore the urgent need for integrated interventions involving healthcare professionals, parents, and educators.
- Understanding these risk factors is crucial for developing effective preventive strategies to combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.
- This research contributes to the body of knowledge on childhood obesity, informing targeted public health policies and educational programs.
Introduction:
Childhood obesity is an important public health issue, especially in developed countries, with a multifactorial nature. We purpose to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a group of children and analyze related risk factors.
Material:
Study including 207 children aged 5-6 years old enrolled in Urban Extension of ACES Ave III - Famalicão. Data were collected from connector plugs school health and phone interview of parents.
Methods:
Cross sectional observational study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and parametric tests were used to verify the statistical significance of data, considering statistical significance for p values <0.05.
Results:
The overall prevalence of overweight was 46.9% and obesity 28.5%, and the majority were girls. Odds ratio revealed that obesity risk increased with birthweight (<2500 g: 1.28; 2500-3000 g: 1.84; 3000 g-3500 g: 1.83; 3500 g-4000 g: 2.00 ), the number of hours of sleep (<9 hours: 1.5, 9-10 hours: 1.75;> 10 hours: 1.89), the number of hours of television (<2 hours: 1.71; 2-4 hours: 1.81;> 4 hours: 1.89) and intake of fruit juice as the main drink (not: 1.70; yes: 1.80). The obesity risk was higher when parents were overweight and obese (father/mother: normal-weight: 1.58 / 1.62; pre-obese: 1.93 / 2.10, obese: 1.86 / 1 79), lived in rural areas (urban: 1.67, rural: 1.75) and have basic education (father/mother: 1st-4th class: 2.20 / 2.58, 5th 9th class: 1.80/ 1.69; 10th-12th class: 1.38 / 1.65; university: 1.78 / 1.76). There was a association between the number of siblings and obesity (zero: 1.84; a: 1.68; two: 1.87; three: 1.75). The physical activity acted as a protective factor for obesity (practice: 1.74; not practice: 1.78).
Conclusions:
The results of this study revealed the need for immediate implementation of measures involving health professionals, parents and educators. Knowledge of various risk factors allows for the adoption of preventive strategies to mitigate the impact of childhood obesity.
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