Prevalence of obesity and overweight in elementary school students and their relationship with parents' weight status in Farsan, Iran

Abstract

IntroductionObesity, as a multifactorial outcome is the result of a complex reaction among genetic talent, environment, and behavioral factors. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among the elementary school students and their relationship with parents' weight status. MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 1189 randomly selected male and female elementary school students and their parents in 2017. The participants' anthropometric measures and their body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Other information such as parents' age, level of education, and occupation were investigated using private and face-to-face interviews. The weight status of parents and students were defined using the BMI classification and BMI percentiles, respectively. ResultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity among male students (9.9% and 8.5%, respectively) was significantly higher than female students (8.6% and 3.4%, respectively). The frequency rates of overweight and obesity were 42.1 and 17.1 percent in fathers, while they were 43 and 25.8 percent in mothers, respectively. Obesity and overweight in students had a statistically significant relationship with their parental weight status. ConclusionIn Farsan city, 14.8 percent of students, 59.2 percent of fathers, and 68.8 percent of mothers were obese or overweight. These results were significantly different from similar areas. Moreover, a large percentage of obese and overweight students had obese or overweight parents. Therefore, educational interventions are recommended to change the lifestyle and diet habits of families with a positive history of obesity.