Hector Manuel Sarabia Sainz, Ariadna Thalia Bernal Mercado, Antonio Accent Jesus Perez, Saul Ignacio Vega Orozco, Omar Ivan Gavotto Nogales, Graciela Hoyos Ruiz, Roberto Ung Vazquez and Fernando Bernal Reyes*
Background: Childhood obesity is a global health problem, with Mexico currently ranked in first place in terms of incidence. The lifestyle of school-age children plays a determining role in the excessive gain of body fat. As children advance through grades in school, obesity increases in the child population.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of obesity in children and its relationship with their lifestyle in two elementary schools of different socioeconomic status, one public and the other private.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 299 children from 6 to 11 years old, using a stratified sampling design through the representativeness of the two schools. The incidence of overweight and obesity was determined from the body mass index (BMI) and the body fat percentage (BF%). Lifestyle was examined using the Eating Habits and Physical Activity Questionnaire for a Healthy Life (HLHEPAQ) and a form was applied to assess eating habits and the frequency of physical activity.
Results: The joint prevalence of overweight and obesity by BMI was 49% in public school and 27% in private school, while by BF% the values were 46% and 19% respectively. In both cases deficiencies were found in nutritional patterns, however, in the public school the frequency of physical activity was lower and a higher proportion of children exhibited a lifestyle with risk factors for health, affecting the high incidence of overweight and obesity.
Conclusion: A lifestyle with tendencies to a more active life is the most determining factor in school-age children to enjoy an adequate body weight, even when they present some deficiencies in their eating habits. The results of this study will serve to establish an intervention strategy in schools to promote healthier food preferences and an adequate physical activity in order to reduce childhood obesity.
Published Date: 2023-10-30; Received Date: 2023-05-31
