Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Public Primary School Children in Basrah City | ||
| IRAQI JOURNALOF COMMUNITY MEDICINE | ||
| Article 1, Volume 26, Issue 2, August 2013, Pages 103-108 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Narjis A. H. Ajeel; Mayyada Abd-el-Jaleel Salman | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Abstract: Background: Prevalence of obesity among children is increasing in both developed and developing countries, but at very different speeds and in different patterns. Objective: to study the extent of the problem of overweight/obesity among public primary school children in Basrah city in the southern part of Iraq. Methods: descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of pupils who attended public schools during the first school term (between the 1st of December 2010 and 31st of January 2011). A total of 1466 pupils were included in the study, 737 males and 729 females. The Body Mass Index was used as indicator for overweight/obesity. Results: The study found that the prevalence of overweight / obesity among primary school children in Basrah city was 24.1% (13.6% were overweight and 10.5% were obese). The prevalence was nearly the same for males and females; however, it consistently increased with the increase in child's age. The study also found that the prevalence of overweight/obesity among primary school children in Basrah city was directly proportional to socioeconomic status (SES) of their families. This was demonstrated by the consistent increase in the prevalence with the increase in parental education, and the increase in family per-capita income. In addition, the prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher among children whose fathers were involved in professional job, and among children of working mothers. Conclusion: the prevalence of overweight and obesity is relatively high among children in Basrah city. Key words: obesity, overweight, school children, Basrah. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Obesity; Overweight; school children; Basrah | ||
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