Excess weight and abdominal obesity in Galician children and adolescents

• Published in: Anales de Pediatría 2018-11, Vol.89 (5), p.302-308
• Main Authors: Pérez-Ríos, Mónica, Santiago-Pérez, María Isolina, Leis, Rosaura, Martínez, Ana, Malvar, Alberto, Hervada, Xurxo, Suanzes, Jorge
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• ISSN: 2341-2879
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2017.11.007

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVESThe excess of weight, mainly obesity, during childhood and adolescence increases morbimortality risk in adulthood. The aim of this article is to estimate both the overall prevalence, as well as according to age and gender, of underweight, overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity among schoolchildren aged between 6-15-years-old in the school year 2013-2014. MATERIAL AND METHODSData were taken from a cross-sectional community-based study carried out on a representative sample, by gender and age, of the Galician population aged between 6 and 15 years-old. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obese children (Cole's cut-off criteria) and abdominal obesity (Taylor's cut-off criteria) were estimated after performing objective measurements of height, weight and waist circumference at school. RESULTSA total of 7,438 students were weighed and measured in 137 schools. The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals was 24.9% and 8.2%, respectively. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 25.8%, with 4% of children with normal weight having abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONSThese data highlight the need to promote primary prevention measures at early ages in order to decrease the occurrence of the premature onset of disease in the future. The prevalence of excess weight is underestimated if abdominal obesity is not taken into consideration.