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Prevalence of Weight Disorders in Iranian Children and Adolescents

Motahar Heidari-Beni1, Roya Kelishadi2

  • 1Department of Nutrition, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Archives of Iranian Medicine
|November 5, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Childhood weight disorders are a global concern. This review found increasing trends in overweight and obesity in Iranian children, though underweight remains a problem in some regions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood weight disorders, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, pose significant global health challenges with long-term adverse effects.
  • Iran, like many developing nations, faces a dual burden of nutritional challenges, encompassing both undernutrition and overnutrition in its pediatric population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the existing literature on the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and underweight among children in Iran.
  • To identify regional and demographic variations in childhood weight disorders within the Iranian pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted using major electronic databases (MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, SID, Magiran).
  • Inclusion criteria focused on population-based studies investigating childhood overweight, obesity, and underweight prevalence across all regions of Iran.

Main Results:

  • Significant variations in the prevalence of weight disorders were observed across different age groups, sexes, and geographical regions within Iran.
  • A discernible, albeit not sharp, increasing trend in childhood obesity and overweight was identified.
  • Undernutrition, specifically underweight, continues to be a significant nutritional issue in certain Iranian provinces, such as Sistan-va-Baluchistan and Kerman.

Conclusions:

  • Iran exhibits a double burden of nutritional disorders in its children, mirroring trends in other developing countries.
  • Current health policies and educational initiatives in Iran have historically prioritized underweight and malnutrition.
  • There is a critical need to shift focus and allocate more attention to addressing the growing problem of excess weight (overweight and obesity) in Iranian children.
Abstract

Keywords:
IranObesityOverweightPediatricsPrevalenceThinness

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