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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in obese and overweight children
1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Insights
Obese and overweight children show a higher prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) like functional constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Nearly half of these children experience at least one FGID, indicating a significant health concern.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Obesity research
- Public health
Background:
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in children.
- The relationship between childhood obesity and FGIDs requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence of FGIDs, including functional constipation (FC), functional abdominal pain (FAP), functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in obese/overweight versus normal-weight children.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 450 children aged 4-18 years from pediatric clinics.
- Utilized ROME III criteria questionnaires and medical records for data collection.
- Classified children into obese, overweight, and normal-weight groups based on BMI-for-age and sex.
Main Results:
- Obese/overweight children had significantly higher prevalence of FAPS, FC, and IBS compared to normal-weight children.
- 47% of obese/overweight children had at least one FGID versus 27% of normal-weight children (P≤0.001).
- Only 36% of children with FGIDs sought medical attention.
Conclusions:
- Childhood obesity is associated with a higher prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders.
- Nearly half of obese/overweight children experience FGIDs, highlighting a need for increased awareness and intervention.
Objective:
To compare the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders such as functional constipation (FC), functional abdominal pain (FAP), functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) between a large cohort of healthy obese/overweight children and normal-weight children.
Methods:
Healthy children between the ages of 4 and 18 years were eligible for recruitment from the Yale Pediatric Primary Care clinic, Yale Adolescent clinic and a local private practice in Orange, CT, USA. Study subjects or their parents were interviewed using a questionnaire based on the ROME III standardized criteria for diagnosing functional gastrointestinal disorders. Medical records were reviewed to collect information about age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity and chronic medical conditions. Children were classified into obese, overweight and normal-weight based on their BMI for age and gender. Data were analyzed to compare the prevalence of FC, FAP, FAPS and IBS between obese/overweight children and normal-weight children.
Results:
A total of 450 children (45% males) were recruited. There were 191 (42%) obese/overweight children and 259 (58%) normal-weight children. FAPS (odds ratio (OR) =2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-3.64, P=0.007), FC (OR=1.83, 95% CI: 1.12-2.98, P=0.01), and IBS (OR=2.59, 95% CI: 1.40-4.79, P=0.003) were significantly more prevalent in the obese/overweight children than in the normal-weight children. Of the obese/overweight children, 47% had at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder compared with 27% of the normal-weight children (P⩽0.001). Only 36% of the children with functional gastrointestinal disorders sought medical attention for their symptoms.
Conclusions:
Obese/overweight children have a higher prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders than normal-weight children. Almost half of the obese/overweight children had at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder.
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