[Study of obesity in a rural children population and its relationship with anthropometric variables]

[Weight status in the 6- to 9-year-old school population in Spain: results of the ALADINO 2019 Study]

INTRODUCTION

childhood obesity is a public health problem whose prevalence has grown steadily in recent decades.

OBJECTIVE

to describe the weight status of schoolchildren aged 6 to 9 years in Spain in 2019, and their associated factors.

METHODS

ALADINO is a cross-sectional study in schoolchildren aged 6 to 9 years, representative of the Spanish population, and aligned with the Child Obesity Surveillance Initative of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Participants' weight, height, and abdominal circumference were measured, defining weight status according to different standards (WHO, IOTF, and Orbegozo). A questionnaire on lifestyle and socio-demographic characteristics was administered to parents.

RESULTS

a total of 16,665 schoolchildren from 276 schools were measured. Excess weight was observed in 40.6 %: 23.3 % overweight and 17.3 % obesity, with obesity being more prevalent in boys and overweight in girls, both increasing with age. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 22.6 %. Excess weight decreased by 3.9 percentage points since 2011, mainly due to overweight in boys. Obesity remained stable. Excess weight was more prevalent in schoolchildren with less healthy eating and physical activity habits, and in families with a lower socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSIONS

the prevalence of excess weight is high, although it has declined since 2011 and remains stable since 2015 among schoolchildren aged 6-9 years in Spain, this reduction being mainly due to a decrease in overweight in children. It is necessary to continue promoting healthy habits from the earliest stages of life, thus reducing health inequalities.

Weight status in the 6 to 9 year-old school population in Spain: Results of the ALADINO 2015 study

INTRODUCTION

Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence has grown alarmingly in the last twenty years or so in many countries of Europe, including Spain. This study presents the prevalences of overweight and obesity in 6-9 year-old schoolchildren in 2015, and their associated characteristics.

METHODOLOGY

ALADINO (Its initials in Spanish for Diet, physical activity, child development and obesity) is a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 6-9 year-old schoolchildren in Spain, in line with the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The height and weight of the participants, defining the weight status according to WHO standards, and a questionnaire was given to the parents on lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Anthropometric measurements were taken on 10,899 schoolchildren for 168 primary education centres. Excess weight was observed in 41.3% (95% CI: 40.0-42.6), overweight in 23.2% (95% CI: 22.1-24.3) and obesity in 18.1% (95% CI: 17.2-19.1), with obesity being more prevalent in boys, overweight in girls. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 23.2% (95% CI: 21.8-24.6). The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased with age. Excess weight decreased by 3.2% compared to 2011, mainly due to the decrease in overweight in boys, while that of obesity remained stable. Excess weight was more prevalent in schoolchildren from families with a lower socioeconomic level.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of excess weight in 6-9 year-old schoolchildren in Spain has decreased by 3.2% since 2011, due to the decrease in overweight, whilst obesity remained stable. Action must be taken in the obesogenic environment, by promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity, bearing in mind the inequalities in health.

Sociodemographic Correlates of Obesity among Spanish Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study

Some studies have been conducted in order to assess the association between weight status (assessed by body mass index) and socio-demographic factors. Nevertheless, only a few of them have indicated these associations by other anthropometric parameters (e.g., skinfolds). The aim of this study was to determine, compare, and examine the influence of age, sex, type of the schooling, per capita income, area of residence, and immigrant status on obesity parameters in schoolchildren aged 6-13 from the Region of Murcia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in six different Primary schools of the Region of Murcia (Spain). A total sample of 370 children (166 girls) aged 6-13 (8.7 ± 1.8) were selected. In order to determine participants' body composition, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and skinfold measurements were calculated. Higher associations of excess of weight (OR = 1.96; 95%CI = 1.19-3.20) and abdominal obesity (OR = 3.12; 95CI% = 1.49-6.94) were shown in the case of children from public schools. A greater association of high trunk fat mass was found in children from municipalities with high per capita income (OR = 3.20; 95%CI = 1.05-9.77). Therefore, lower association of having an inadequate %BF was found in the participants aged 6-9 (OR = 0.38; 95%CI = 0.24-0.54), and immigrant students (OR = 2.63; 95%CI = 1.69-4.10). Our study suggested that overweight/obesity among schoolchildren in the Region of Murcia is higher than the overall prevalence of Spain. The results of the adjusted analyses showed that age, type of schooling, per capita income, and immigrant status were associated with obesity parameters.