Weighting the Factors Associated with Obesity in Children: an International Perspective Toward a Unified Model

Abstract

Beside genetic predisposition, several factors have been proposed to promote overweight and eventually obesity in children, from the socio‐ and built‐ environment down to behavioural attitudes. How this model is shared by different cultural settings is unclear and less investigated.Using a unified protocol for data collection, a cross‐sectional study has been performed on 960 children in India, Italy, Germany, France, UK, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. Children CDC z‐scores for Body Mass Index have been evaluated in association with several known factors influencing overweight and obesity (maternal and neonatal aspects, socio‐economic familiar status, BMI of parents, physical activity, nutrition habits, screening activities). Based on a random‐effect mixed effect model and the Kullback‐Leibler Entropy Measure, the capability to explain variability in BMI of such factors has been computed. Percentages of explained variation are given in the table.Capability of proposed factors to capture variability in BMI is significantly higher in UK (p=0.03) than in other countries, being significantly lower in an emerging country like India (p=0.042): more intense research should be specifically targeted to capture risk factors specific for the cultural setting in addition to the general ones.Bouchard, 2007.