Obesity In School Going Children Research Articles

The effect of body weight on peak expiratory flow rate (pefr) among the adolescent rural school children, an observational study

Background: The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity in developing countries is a growing public health concern. Obesity has been linked to pulmonary dysfunction, including reduced peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). This study aimed to investigate the effect of body weight on PEFR among rural adolescent school children. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in schools located in and around Nagamangala Taluk, with a study duration of 18 months. The sample size was determined using a formula based on the prevalence of obesity in school-going children. Anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), were recorded. PEFR was measured using a peak flow meter. Statistical analysis, including correlation coefficient, t-test, and linear regression analysis, was performed using SPSS version 26. Results: The study included 573 rural adolescent school children, with a majority aged between 13 and 15 years and a higher proportion of female participants. The prevalence of overweight based on WHtR was 29.7%. There was no significant difference in mean age between overweight and normal WHtR groups. However, a higher prevalence of overweight was observed among boys compared to girls. Higher consumption of sweets, soft drinks, and fast food was significantly associated with overweight, while a higher frequency of exercise showed an inverse association. Longer duration of TV viewing was also associated with overweight. Overweight children had a significantly higher mean BMI and lower mean PEFR compared to children with a normal WHtR. There was a significant inverse correlation between PEFR and both BMI and WHtR. Conclusion: The present study observed a significant inverse correlation between PEFR and both BMI and WHtR. The study findings support the negative impact of excess body weight on lung function, as evidenced by reduced PEFR among overweight rural adolescent school children. The results emphasize the need for interventions to address childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors. Awareness among healthcare professionals, parents, and educators is crucial for early detection and management of pulmonary dysfunction associated with excess body weight in children.

Awareness of risks and complications of obesity in school going children

Introduction: Childhood obesity is increasing in Pakistan, and it mostly occurs when there is more energy-rich food intake and not enough physical activity. Not realizing the dangers, parents often encourage the children to eat as much as possible and whatever is preferred by the child.
 Objective: To assess the level of awareness of school-going children of Peshawar about the risks and complications of childhood obesity.
 Materials & Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in two private schools of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from April - July 2017, where data were collected through consecutive sampling of all available children of classes 7 to 10. Questionnaires contained open and closed-ended questions. Data were entered in SPSS 22 and Microsoft Excel, and analyzed for descriptive statistics.
 Results: Majority of children (83%) were aware of the meaning of obesity and 72% knew that obesity is an illness, and it can cause problems in their bodies. Most children (65%) thought obesity caused high cholesterol levels in the body, and 56% children thought that obesity could be controlled by exercise.
 Conclusion: Majority of the school children were aware of obesity and its risks and complications.

FREQUENCY AND RISK FACTORS OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE SCHOOL GOING ADOLESCENTS OF DISTRICT PESHAWAR, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

ABSTRACT
 Objective:
 To assess the frequency and risk factors of overweight and obese school going children of district Peshawar.
 To determine association of these risk factors with obesity in school going children.
 Material and methods:
 This is a cross sectional descriptive study, performed in public and private schools of district Peshawar from 1st October 2020 till 30th March 2021. A pre validated questionnaire was used to assess the dietary habits of students. The listed schools were stratified according to the monthly fee structure of the schools into three strata, low SES status (fee < 1000 PKR), middle SES (fee = 1000-2500 PKR), high socioeconomic status (SES) (fee > 2500 PKR). Two schools were selected using stratified random technique from each stratum. Simple random sampling technique (balloting) was used to select students from each selected school. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23. Chi square test was used to determine association between obesity and socioeconomic status and between obesity and dietary habits. Kendal-tau was used to determine statistical correlation between obesity and socioeconomic status and between obesity and dietary habits.
 Results: The overall frequency of overweight and obesity was found to be 14.7 % and 8% respectively. After applying chi square test, it was found that obesity has a significant association with socioeconomic condition and dietary habits of children. Kendal-tau was applied to develop correlation. It was found that obesity has positive correlation with socioeconomic condition +0.312. However obesity has negative correlation with dietary habits -0.092.
 Conclusion: childhood obesity is rising significantly in district Peshawar where every 4th or 5th child is either overweight or obese. The major risk factors that were studied were socioeconomic status and dietary habits, which were statistically found to be associated with obesity.
 Keywords: BMI, school going children, obesity, overweight.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with overweight and obesity in age group between 8 to 19 years in North India, a school based cross-sectional study

Background: The objective of this study was to observe association of demographic, lifestyle factors and Socio cultural and economic factors among children’s and adolescents with overweight and obesity.Methods:Our study was cross sectional study, carried out in age group between 8 to 19 years of age from June to October 2019 in nine schools of district Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, North India. Body mass index (weight in kg/height in m2) was assessed to identify participants with (overweight/obese), CDC sex and age specific growth charts were used for assessment. Structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding socio-demographics and respondent’s exposure to various risk factors.Results: In our study, among 354 participants study showed that 44.1% were boys and 55.9% were girls. Among these15.5% were overweight and 5.9% were obese in females, while as 7.9% were overweight and 2.5% were obese in males, thus showing female preponderance. Besides this physical activity, consumption of junk/fast foods along with watching TV and video games along with mother education and occupation were significantly associated with overweight and obesity in children’s and adolescents.Conclusions:Having overweight parents along with limited exercise and Sedentary activities along with physical inactivity compounded by erratic eating habits with overweight parents are main risk factors leading to overweight and obesity in school going children’s and adolescents in north Kashmir, India.

A study on correlation of waist indices with body mass index among school children in North Kerala

Background: Childhood obesity is a serious problem worldwide. Body mass index (BMI) has been the widely used tool to detect obesity. Central adiposity detected by waist indices is a better predictor of obesity related complications like metabolic syndrome. Objective of this study was to analyze the correlation of waist indices with BMI as indicators of overweight (OW)/obesity in school going children.Methods: This study was done in 880 adolescents from two schools in Kerala. Anthropometric measurements including waist circumference (WC) were taken according to guidelines and BMI, waist hip ratio (WHR), waist height ratio (WHtR) calculated. We categorized children as normal, OW/obese according to BMI charts by centers for disease control and prevention (CDC). A cutoff 70th centile in WC charts by Khadilkar et al, WHR of more than 0.85 in girls and 0.9 in boys, WHtR >0.5 were taken as central obesity.Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity (BMI >85th centile) was estimated to be 26.3%. Prevalence of central obesity was 12.3% when measured by WC, 22.8% measured by WHR, 14.8% measured by WHtR. All three waist indices showed statistically significant correlation with OW/obesity and BMI (p<0.001). Multivariate regression showed association of OW/obesity with urban school, acanthosis nigricans, hypertension, WHtR (p<0.001) and with WC (p=0.004).Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is alarmingly high in adolescent children. Waist height ratio was best correlated with Body mass index and overweight/obesity, followed by Waist circumference. We recommend waist height ratio as a screening tool to predict obesity in school going children.

Prevalence of Obesity in School Going Children of Rajasthan

Prevalence of Obesity in School Going Children of Rajasthan

Overweight and Obesity in School Children of a Hill State in North India: Is the Dichotomy Urban-Rural or Socio-Economic? Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey.

IntroductionOverweight and obesity are a public health problem in India not only in adults but also in children. The authors sought to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-going children of 6–17 years of age and examine its demographic and dietary correlates in context of their urban-rural status and socio-economic status.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey height and weight were measured in 1266 school children in government and private schools of urban and rural areas. Dietary assessment was done using single day 24-hour dietary recall method. The data were analyzed using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics Version 19) and WHO AnthroPlus Software. Factorial ANOVA was used for testing interaction within and between subgroups for continuous variables and Chi-square test was used for categorical variables.ResultsIt was found that the overall prevalence of overweight was 15.6% of which 5.4% were obese, with maximum prevalence in boys attending urban private schools. The mean caloric intake in the study population with 24-hour dietary recall method was 1558.2 kilocalories (SD: 428 kilocalories).ConclusionOverweight and obesity is a significant problem in school-going children. Higher socio-economic status continues to remain an important driver of this epidemic in the younger generation and affects demographic and dietary determinants of this problem.

Socio-economic profile of selected obese school going children

The present study was to assess the prevalence of obesity in school going children and their socio-economic status. The study was carried out in 1500 school going children of 6-16 years of age having different SES from Pune, Nashik and Ahmednagar districtof Maharashtra. The overweight and obesity were considered using BMI reference. The sociodemographic factors were assessed by using self-structured questionnaire. Overweight (16.52)and obesity (7.21)for boys and 43.12 and 23.32 per cent, respectively in girls were found as high and alarming specially in high SES with nuclear families. Therefore nutrition awareness programme should be provided to parents for better and healthy nutrition of their children.

Physical activity correlates of overweight and obesity in school-going children of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Background:Physical activity is important for prevention of overweight and obesity in growing children.Objective:The present study aims to explore the association of overweight and obesity in school children of the district of Dehradun with physical activity, sports, and recreation at home and school.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional survey of 1266 schoolchildren of select private and government schools in urban and rural areas was done.Results:Overall 15.6% of children were overweight, of which 5.4% were obese. Overweight and obesity were significantly associated with physical inactivity related to passive transport to school, missed opportunities for play during lunch breaks, lack of participation in household work, and excessive viewing of television.Conclusion:We found a significant association between the lack of physical activity and overweight and obesity. There is a need to enhance physical activity, sports, and recreational opportunities at school as well as home to prevent overweight and obesity in children. Family physicians should include counseling for this important and cheap modifiable risk factor in their family care practice.

Assessment of obesity in school going children of different schools

Unhealthy eating patterns and lack of physical activity develop obesity in school going children. If childhood obesity persists, it may bring the child at risk stage in his adolescent and adulthood. A study was undertaken on children from different schools in Bhubaneswar, Orissa to identify nutritional status based on anthropometric measurements and dietary intakes. Approximately 8.3 per cent boys (4-6 years age) in GEMS; 25 per cent boys in PNS and GEMS and 66.66 per cent girls of 7-9 years age in GEMS were stunted. About 50-75 per cent children in 7-9 years age group recorded normal to +1 (Z-score) BMI in PNS and GEMS whereas, 66.4 per cent boys and 91.63 per cent girls in SXHS (high parental income group) recorded BMI normal to +2 (Z-score). The data also indicated that around 8.33per cent girls and 25per cent boys of SXHS were obese with BMI of +3 . The income of the parents had profound influence on their calorie consumption and weight of school going children.

Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis, prevalence of malaria and nutritional status of school going children in honduras.

BackgroundMany small studies have been done in Honduras estimating soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) prevalence but a country-wide study was last done in 2005. The country has the highest burden of malaria among all Central American countries. The present study was done to estimate country-wide STH prevalence and intensity, malaria prevalence and nutritional status in school going children.Methods and FindingsA cross-sectional study was conducted following PAHO/WHO guidelines to select a sample of school going children of 3rd to 5th grades, representative of ecological regions in the country. A survey questionnaire was filled; anthropometric measurements, stool sample for STH and blood sample for malaria were taken. Kato-Katz method was used for STH prevalence and intensity and rapid diagnostic tests, microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for malaria parasite detection. A total of 2554 students were studied of which 43.5% had one or more STH. Trichuriasis was the most prevalent (34%) followed by ascariasis (22.3%) and hookworm (0.9%). Ecological regions II (59.7%) and VI (55.6%) in the north had the highest STH prevalence rates while IV had the lowest (10.6%). Prevalence of one or more high intensity STH was low (1.6%). Plasmodium vivax was detected by PCR in only 5 students (0.2%), all of which belonged to the same municipality; no P. falciparum infection was detected. The majority of children (83%) had normal body mass index for their respective age but a significant proportion were overweight (10.42%) and obese (4.35%).ConclusionsBiannual deworming campaigns would be necessary in ecological regions II and VI, where STH prevalence is >50%. High prevalence of obesity in school going children is a worrying trend and portends of future increase in obesity related diseases. Malaria prevalence, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, was low and provides evidence for Honduras to embark on elimination of the disease.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in School Going Children of Surat

Introduction: Overweight and obesity are important determinants of health leading to adverse metabolic changes and increase the risk of non communicable diseases. Hence, the present study was undertaken to study the prevalence of overweight/obesity among school going children of Surat city (Western India). Materials and Method: The cross-sectional study was carried out in the 5 middle-schools (8th to12th standard) of Surat. Probability proportionate to size of population technique was used to decide the number of children to be studied from each school, each class and then each section. Pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used to elicit the information on family characteristics and individual characteristics. Height and weight was measured and then BMI was calculated. Overweight and obesity was assessed by BMI for age. Results: Overweight and obesity was found to be 15.98 % and 8.94 % respectively; together constitute 24.92 %. Prevalence of Overweight was 15.77 % and 16.12 % among males and females respectively and prevalence of Obesity was 8.60 % and 9.18% among males and females respectively. Conclusion: Medium of study, father's occupation, eating habits, junk food consumption, time spent on watching T.V /computer, time spent for playing outdoor games, attending tuition, and mode of transport for reaching school were associated to overweight/obesity. Individual characteristics played important role in predisposing the children to overweight/obesity, hence the interventions need to be directed towards the individuals.

Prevalence of Obesity in School-Going Children of Karachi

BackgroundObesity is an emerging problem in Pakistan. The authors sought to determine prevalence of obesity and malnutrition in school-going children, from grades 6th to 8th of different schools of Karachi and assess associations that affect the weight of the children.Methodology/Principal FindingsA cross sectional study design with children studying in grades 6th to 8th grade, in different schools of Karachi. We visited 10 schools of which 4 consented; two subsidized government schools and two private schools. A questionnaire was developed in consultation with a qualified nutritionist. Height and weight were measured on calibrated scales. A modified BMI criterion for Asian populations was used. Data was collected from 284 students. Of our sample, 52% were found to be underweight whereas 34% of all the children were normal. Of the population, 6% was obese and 8% overweight. Of all obese children, 70% belonged to the higher socio-economic status (SES) group, while of the underweight children, 63.3% were in the lower SES. Amongst obese children in our study, 65% ate meat every day, compared to 33% of normal kids.ConclusionObesity and undernutrition co-exist in Pakistani school-children. Our study shows that socio-economic factors are important since obesity and overweight increase with SES. Higher SES groups should be targeted for overweight while underweight is a problem of lower SES. Meat intake and lack of physical activity are some of the other factors that have been highlighted in our study.

Overweight and obesity in affluent school children of Punjab

In the present cross-sectional study, an attempt has been made to report the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-going children of the affluent families of Punjab. A total of 1000 children (490 boys and 510 girls) were measured for height and weight. Overweight and obesity were assessed using age and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) cut-off points. In the present study, 12.24% boys and 14.31% girls were overweight, and 5.92% boys and 6.27% girls were obese. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the affluent school children of Punjab was as high or higher as in some developed countries.

Indices of physical build, nutrition and obesity in school-going children.

Physical growth and growth indices were determined in 728 school children aged 5–15 years from low and lower middle socioeconomic groups (LSE) and 512 school children from high socioeconomic group (HSE). Growth of children from HSE group was comparable to Harvard standards and it was higher than ICMR: Class-I; and that of children from LSE group was very low compared to Harvard and ICMR Class I standards. It is suggested that growth norms of Indian children belonging to high socioeconomic class could be taken as standards for comparison.