Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Children in Private Schools in Aracaju.
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Date
2014-07-21
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Abstract
Introduction: Childhood obesity is a matter of growing public health concern worldwide
and may be associated with risks of illness and premature death in adulthood. In the light
of increasing numbers of individuals presenting excessive weight, studies in Brazilian
schools have shown that the prevalence of obesity and overweight among children varies
according to the region, age group and type of school attended (public or private).
Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in private schools in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
Materials and Methods: Anthropometric examinations (weight, height and calculations
of body mass index (BMI) and percentiles) were conducted on 600 children aged 7 years
to 12 years and 11 months at five private schools in Aracaju. All of them were asked
about their physical exercise practices. To determine overweight and obesity,
respectively, the 85th and 97th percentiles of the World Health Organization’s BMI curve
were used.
Results: Among the children studied, 21.5% (129) presented obesity (95% CI:18.3%-
24.8%) and 22.3% (134) presented overweight (95% CI:18.8-25.3). There was greater
prevalence of obesity among male children (p=0.05). Only 10% of the children did not
practice physical activities.
Conclusions: High prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was found in our
study, which signals that there is a need to concentrate on preventive, screening and
care actions in this population.
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Keywords
Obesity, overweight, body mass index, pediatrics
Citation
Aragao Jose Aderval, Agripino Mirian Ellen de Jesus, Santos Elenilde Gomes, Melo Enaldo Vieira, Aragao Marina Elizabeth Cavalcanti de Sant' Anna, Reis Francisco Prado. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Children in Private Schools in Aracaju. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 2014 July; 4(21): 3834-3843.