Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among primary school children in Hawally District, State of Kuwait

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 community Medicine,Faculty of Medicine,Zagazig University

2 community Medicine,department,faculty of medicine, zagazig university

3 community Medicine,department,faculty of Medicine,zagazig University

4 Assistant Professor of public health and community medicine Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Obesity and overweight are serious epidemic issues worldwide in general and in Middle East countries including the state of Kuwait especially due to multiple risk factors like sedentary lifestyle activity. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children in Hawally District, State of Kuwait and to determine identify risk factors associated with them. Methods: The study surveyed 143 and children aged 6–12 years in 4 selected public schools. Questionnaires were developed to elicit information from parents' and their children's perceptions of weight status, physical activities, sedentary activities, daily food intake as well as their attitudes toward overweight and obesity in general. The children’s body mass index (BMI) was measured according to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines. Results: One quarter of the surveyed children (35.0%) were overweight. An additional one third of the participants (17.4%) were classified as obese. There was a high statistical significant association between dietary habits and lifestyle with the BMI of children. Lack of Physical exercise, watching television ˃ 2 hours/day was associated with overweight and obesity. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children aged 6–12 year-old in state of Kuwait. Socioeconomic class, faulty dietary habits, sedentary life style, low level of physical activity were the most important risk factors.

Keywords

Zagazig University Medical Journal
Volume 26, Issue 3
Pediatrics,Cardiology,Internal Medicine,Community Medicine,Chest,Rheumatology,Dermatology&Psychiatry
May 2020
Pages 493-501

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