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Assessment of obesity and abdominal obesity among Portuguese children
David Albuquerque1, Clévio Nóbrega, Hanen Samouda
1Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences (Anthropology), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Insights
Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern in Portugal, with over a third of children aged 6-12 years being overweight or obese. This study highlights the urgent need for preventive strategies to combat rising obesity trends in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a critical public health issue with long-term implications.
- Prevalence is high in developed nations and often persists into adulthood.
- Understanding regional trends is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of obesity and abdominal fat distribution in Portuguese children aged 6-12.
- To provide updated data on obesity trends, epidemiology, and evolution in the region.
- To inform public health strategies for childhood obesity prevention and management.
Main Methods:
- A representative sample of 1,433 children (6-12 years) in central Portugal was surveyed in 2011.
- Measurements included weight, height, and waist circumference.
- International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria and waist-to-height ratio were used to define overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of overweight and obesity combined was 33.0%, with 10.7% classified as obese.
- Overweight was more common in boys, while obesity prevalence showed no significant gender difference.
- Abdominal obesity prevalence varied by measurement method, being higher in boys using the waist-to-height ratio.
Conclusions:
- Portuguese children exhibit a high prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity.
- These findings align with trends observed in other Southern European countries.
- Developing effective preventive and treatment strategies is crucial.
Background:
Childhood obesity is a major public health issue in developed countries, and frequently proceeds into adulthood. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity and abdominal fat distribution in 6-12 years old children from the central region of Portugal, providing new data about trends on prevalence, epidemiology and evolution in obesity.
Methods:
Weight, height and waist circumference were measured in a random representative sample of 1,433 children (747 girls and 686 boys) from public schools in 2011. International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-offs were used to define overweight and obesity. Abdominal obesity was estimated using the sex and age-specific = 90th waist circumference percentile and waist-to-height ratio cut-off.
Results:
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children was 33.0%; 10.7% were obese. Overweight was significantly higher in boys than in girls (p = 0.044), whereas no gender differences was found in obesity (10.6 % in boys and 10.7% in girls, p = 0.571). The prevalence of abdominal obesity based on waist circumference was similar in girls and boys (3.8% vs. 3.9% respectively; p = 0.924), but significantly higher in boys than in girls based on waist-to-height ratio (28.1% vs. 19.4%, respectively; p = 0.009). Comparison with previous studies showed a slightly increase in overweight/obesity in children of central Portugal in the last 10 years, reaching values of 40.0% prevalence in the 7-9 years old.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this study shows a very high prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity among Portuguese children, following the trend of other southern European countries. Thus, it is of the utmost importance the development of preventive and treatment strategies.
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