Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: October | Volume: 7 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 6-13
The Prevalence of Obesity and Factors Contributing to It in School Going Children between 5-12 Years
Dhanasekhar R.S1, Kirubakaran S2, Thamizharasu P3
1Post Graduate Student, Department of Paediatrics, Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Chennai
2Department of Community Medicine, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College & Hospital, Pondicherry.
3Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College & Hospital, Pondicherry.
Corresponding Author: Kirubakaran S
ABSTRACT
Background Obesity mainly in childhood is becoming a potential risk factor for obesity in adulthood. It is one of the leading causes for all the health which includes cardiovascular diseases, gallbladder disease diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, and some sex hormone-sensitive cancers. Overall prevalence of obesity and factors contributing to it in school going children between 5-12 years is therefore essential.
Aims: Our study aimed in assessing the rate of prevalence of overweight and obesity among school age adolescents (11-17 years) residing in north Chennai zone; understand the underlying various factors influencing overweight and obesity and the influence of individual factors in the development of overweight and obesity.
Methodology: A cross sectional and institutional study adopting multistage stratified cluster sampling procedure. This study was done with 4960 school going adolescents of age 5 to 12 years was included in the study carried in the department of paediatrics at a medical college and hospital. Age, sex, BMI, Socioeconomic status, occupation of the father, literacy status of parents, mode of conveyance to school, type and hours of physical activity, hours involved in seeing television or playing video games were assessed in the form of questionnaire.
Results: A total of 4960 adolescents studied 22.1% were overweight and 4.1% were obese. Among them 49% were boys and 51 % were girls. Proportion of overweight was higher among girls than among boys and was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Prevalence of overweight girls peak is at age of 9 years (27.9%) compared with boys (21.58%). Obesity is significantly higher among adolescents of higher socio economic status (53.82%); occupation of fathers was either service/business or the others (24.94%); children from semi private schools; and children who consume junk food (30.14%). Similarly incidence of overweight among group – I was higher than those among group – II. The prevalence of overweight was significantly lower among the adolescents who participated in outdoor games than those who not participated (p<0.005).
Discussion and Conclusions: To conclude from this study is that low levels of physical activity, watching television, and consuming junk foods are associated with a higher prevalence of overweight that can be overcome by participation in household activities, regular physical exercise, TV viewing of more than 2 hrs a day and by avoiding outside foods
Key words: Obesity, overweight, adolescent, Socio-economic status.