[Overweight and obesity among children in nurseries]

Childhood obesity is a public health problem worldwide, which is associated with the diet, decreased physical activity and caloric imbalance, as well as genetic, behavioral and environmental factors.

A cross-sectional study was conducted where the prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated in nurseries from the Mexican Institute of Social Security in the state of Baja California Sur. Three hundred and sixty-eight children aged between two and 47 months who were being looked after in nurseries of three geographical areas from the state were analyzed. The children's body mass index was measured with the Anthro software, version 3.2.2, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test.

Of the 368 studied children, 176 were male (48 %) and 192 female (52 %). The nurseries belonged to the northern, central-La Paz and southern areas. Average age was 26.1 ± 13.1 months. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.3 %: 30 % in the central zone, 8.5 % in the Northern zone and 7.6 % in the Southern zone. There was no relationship between diagnosis and age.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity was lower than that reported worldwide. The highest prevalence was observed in the central-La Paz zone, probably due to cultural and social contexts. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in nurseries from the Baja California Sur institutional office was 17.3 %.