Abstract P048: Sodium Intake is Associated with Weight Status in Australian Schoolchildren Aged 4-12 Years

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carley A Grimes ◽  
Janet Baxter ◽  
Lynn Riddell ◽  
Karen Campbell ◽  
Feng He ◽  
...  

Introduction: A high sodium intake stimulates thirst and in turn may promote greater consumption of high energy sugary beverages, which are linked to obesity risk in children. In this study we assessed the hypothesis that sodium intake, as measured by 24-hr urinary sodium excretion, would be positively associated with weight status in primary school-aged children. Methods: Cross-sectional study completed within a convenience sample of Victorian primary schools (n=43). Sodium intake was assessed via one 24-hr urine collection. Fourteen percent of samples were deemed invalid and excluded. BMI was calculated from measured weight and height and converted to BMI z-scores using the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference growth charts. Participants were grouped into weight categories using the International Obesity Task Force cut-points. Differences in sodium intake and weight status were assessed using multi-level linear and logistic regression analysis with adjustment for random effects (gender, age) and fixed effect (school cluster). Results: Of the 667 children with valid urine samples 55% were male and the average age was 9.3±(SD) 1.8 years. Ten percent were classified as underweight, 73% healthy weight, 14% overweight and 3% obese. Average sodium intake differed across weight categories, underweight 82±29 mmol/day (salt equivalent 4.8±1.7 g/day); healthy weight 102±43 mmol/day (salt 6.0±2.5 g/day); overweight 125±55 mmol/day (salt 7.3±3.2 g/day); obese 148±97 mmol/day (salt 8.7±5.7 g/day) (p=0.001). In the fully adjusted model sodium intake (mmol/d) was significantly associated with BMI z-score (b=0.006, P<0.001). A 17 mmol/day increase in sodium intake (salt 1 g/day) was associated with a 23% (OR: 1.23; 95% CI 1.16, 1.31) greater risk of being overweight or obese, adjusted for age and gender. Conclusions: Higher sodium intake is associated with overweight and obesity in Victorian schoolchildren. This may be related to increased energy intake, and this association should be explored further.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail N. Pangani ◽  
Festus K. Kiplamai ◽  
Jane W. Kamau ◽  
Vincent O. Onywera

Background. The understanding of obesity as a growing health problem in Africa and Tanzania in particular is hampered by lack of data as well as sociocultural beliefs in which overweight and obesity are revered. This study sought to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children aged 8–13 years in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Method. A cross-sectional analytical research design was used to study overweight and obesity in primary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The target population was 150,000 children aged 8–13 years. Stratified random sampling was used to select 1781 children. Weight and height were taken and WHO standards for children were used to determine weight status.Results. Findings showed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.9% and 6.7%, respectively (N=1781). However, 6.2% of the children were underweight. There were significant differences in mean BMI between children in private and public schools (p=0.021), between male and female (p<0.001), and across age groups of 8–10 and 11–13 years (p<0.001).Conclusion. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children is significant and requires management and prevention strategies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Joanna McKersie ◽  
Maryna Louise Baard

Objective. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of overweight and obesity among urban 7 - 10-year-old children in affluent (quintile 5) English-medium primary schools in Port Elizabeth.Method. A quantitative, descriptive one-way cross-sectional research design utilising random sampling was used. A once-off survey consisted of anthropometrical assessment of body mass index (BMI) according to standardised procedures. To classify children into weight categories, the International Obesity Task Force z-score BMI cut-off criteria were used. Post-hoc analysis consisted of one-way analysis of variance and χ2 tests. Level of significance was set at p<0.05. A total of 713 children participated in the study.Results. Overweight prevalence was 20.9% (n=149) and obesity prevalence was 9.8% (n=70). A significant interaction was found for overweight and obesity levels by gender and age (F=7.2, p=0.01). Of the boys (N=372) 18.5% (n=69) were overweight and 6.9% (n=26) were obese. The girls (N=341) had a 23.5% (n=80) overweight rate and 12,9% (n=44) were obese. The highest prevalence of overweight (24.7%, n=43, N=174) was found in children aged 10, and the highest prevalence of obesity (12.5%, n=21, N=167) was found in children aged 8. Conclusion. Results highlighted the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among urban children from economically privileged settings. Future research into paediatric obesity is needed to curb the growing incidence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Predrag Bozic ◽  
Visnja Djordjic ◽  
Lidija Markovic ◽  
Dragan Cvejic ◽  
Nebojsa Trajkovic ◽  
...  

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine dietary patterns and the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Serbian children. Furthermore, the study analyzed the association between dietary patterns and weight status. A nationally representative sample of 6–9-year-old children (n = 3,067) was evaluated as part of the Fifth Round World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. The children's height and weight were measured by trained field examiners, while their parents or guardians filled paper versions of the food frequency questionnaire to collect information related to the child's breakfast habits and food and beverage intake. According to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points, the overall prevalence of overweight (including obesity) and underweight were 28.9 and 8.1%, respectively. The majority of parents reported that their children (84.5%) had breakfast every day, while only 39.5 and 37% of children had daily fruit and vegetable consumption, respectively. The children who do not eat breakfast every day are more likely to be obese (OR = 1.50), while a higher intake frequency of nutrient-poor beverages such as soft drinks increases the risk of being not only overweight (OR = 1.32) but also underweight (OR = 1.39). Regular monitoring and understanding of dietary patterns and weight status is crucial to inform, design, and implement strategies to reduce national and global diet and obesity-related diseases. Urgent actions need to be taken from public policymakers to stop and reverse the increasing trend of overweight (including obesity) among Serbian children.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Hitomi Okubo ◽  
Kentaro Murakami ◽  
Shizuko Masayasu ◽  
Satoshi Sasaki

There is growing recognition that eating slowly is associated with a lower risk of obesity, and chewing well might be an effective way to reduce the eating rate. However, little is known about these relationships among children. We therefore investigated the associations of eating rate and chewing degree with weight status among 4451 Japanese children aged 5–6 years. Information on eating rate (slow, medium, or fast), degree of chewing (not well, medium, or well), and nutrient intake of children were collected from guardians using a diet history questionnaire. Weight status was defined using the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs based on BMI calculated from guardian-reported height and weight. The prevalence of overweight and thinness was 10.4% and 14.3%, respectively. A higher eating rate and a lower degree of chewing were associated with being overweight (both p < 0.001). Eating slowly was associated with being thin (p < 0.001), but no association was observed between chewing degree and thinness. These associations were still evident after controlling for potential confounders including parental educational attainment, weight status, and the child’s nutrient intake. In conclusion, this cross-sectional study suggested that chewing well, rather than eating slowly, might be a more effective way for healthy weight management among Japanese preschool children.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1030-1036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather R Clark ◽  
Elizabeth Goyder ◽  
Paul Bissell ◽  
Lindsay Blank ◽  
Stephen J Walters ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveParents’ child-feeding behaviours have been implicated in children’s food choices and weight, but little is known about the social class distribution of parent’s child-feeding behaviours in the UK. The present study compares parents’ self-reported child-feeding behaviours in two socio-economically contrasting areas.DesignA cross-sectional survey using the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire. Mean scores were calculated for five child-feeding behaviours: control over eating, emotional feeding, encouragement/prompting, instrumental feeding and restriction. Parents’ self-reported child-feeding behaviours were compared with their sociodemographic characteristics.SettingThree primary schools in two contrasting electoral wards of Sheffield, UK.SubjectsTwo hundred and ten parents of children aged 4 to 11 years, recruited from a convenience sample.ResultsParents in the least deprived ward reported using all five types of child-feeding behaviour more frequently than parents in the most deprived ward. After adjusting for parent sex, parent age, single parent status, employment status and level of education, emotional feeding was the only behaviour showing any evidence of a difference between wards. The most frequently used behaviours were control, encouragement and restriction – behaviours that might be used to directly influence children’s food intake and weight.ConclusionsChild-feeding behaviours differ between areas within a single city and within a largely white population, and this distribution is related to socio-economic and educational factors. Experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to further investigate the potential role of child-feeding behaviours in childhood overweight and obesity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M Malina ◽  
María Eugenia Peña-Reyes ◽  
Guillermo Bali-Chávez ◽  
Bertis B Little

Objective. To evaluate change in body mass index (BMI) and weight status of indigenous youth in Oaxaca between the 1970s and 2007. Materials and methods. Heights and weights were measured in cross-sectional samples of school children 6-14 years in the 1970s (2 897) and 2007 (4 305); BMI was calculated. International Obesity Task Force cutoffs for weight status were used. BMI and prevalence of severe and moderate thinness, overweight and obesity were compared by year. Results. BMI increased significantly across time. Primary change in weight status occurred in overweight, 1970s, <2%; 2007, 7 to 12%. Little change occurred in thinness (<2%) and obesity (≤1%) in both surveys, except in children 6-9 years (obesity=4% in 2007). Conclusion. BMI and prevalence of overweight increased across all ages from the 1970s to 2007, but children 6-9 years appeared to be more at risk for obesity than youth 10-14 years. Prevalence of thinness was unchanged.


Author(s):  
Sihem Ben Fredj ◽  
Rim Ghammam ◽  
Nawel Zammit ◽  
Samah Ben Ammar ◽  
Asma Ammar ◽  
...  

Objective: We aimed to assess the weight status and to determine predicted factors of excess weight among Tunisian preschool children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among preschoolers attending kindergarten during 2016-2017 school-years in Sousse, Tunisia. The children’s parents completed the self-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric measures (Weight and height) were taken for the children. Weight status considered body mass index (BMI) and excess weight was defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards. Odds ratios for excess weight were calculated using binary logistic regression analyses. Results: A total of 364 preschoolers were included with a mean age 4.49±0.9 years. The ratio boys/girls was 1.05. The prevalence of excess weight was 31.3%; CI95%:[26.7%-36.5%]). Female gender (AOR=1.74; CI95%:[1.07-2.83]), working mother (AOR=1.75;CI95%:[1.04-2.92]), sedentary behavior (AOR=1.87;CI95%:[1.01-3.51]), eating sweets (AOR=1.95;CI95%:[1.19-3.19]), eating while watching television (AOR=2.53;CI95%:[1.23-5.18]) were positively associated with greater risk of excess weight while sleep duration<10h (AOR=0.41;CI95%:[0.24-0.71]) and less educated mother (AOR=0.35;CI95%:[0.12-0.96]) were negatively associated with excess weight. Conclusion: Our results show that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschoolers was alarming. Prevention of obesity should start early in life through a multisectoral approach.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salanave Benoit ◽  
Szego Emmanuelle ◽  
Verdot Charlotte ◽  
Deschamps Valérie

AbstractIntroductionOverweight and obesity are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases and their prevalence is spreading in high-income countries. However, in France, after an increase among children until 2000, a stabilization of overweight was observed in two national studies conducted by The French Public Health Agency in 2000 and 2007. The study was renewed in 2016 as part of the Children Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) of the WHO regional office for Europe. This work describes the evolution of the prevalence of overweight among children during the period and the relation between overweight and associated factors in 2016.Materials and methodsThe three studies, conducted according to a similar protocol, concerned pupils aged 7 to 9, in primary schools randomly selected throughout the metropolitan area. Weight and height of the children were measured by the nursing staff of the ministry of Education. A self-questionnaire completed by the parents collected sociodemographic characteristics. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was calculated according to the thresholds of the International Obesity Task Force. Analysis was performed using weighting to take into account the complex sampling scheme, and using calibration to provide nationally representative results. Weighting was calculated separately between Education priority area and non-priority area, which depends on the socioeconomic level of the neighborhood.ResultsWhile the stabilization of overweight (including obesity) observed since 2000 was confirmed among girls (21.0% in 2007 versus 18.7% in 2016), a significant decrease was observed among boys (from 18.0% in 2007 to 14.4% in 2016, p = 0.046). In 2016, the gap between girls and boys was significant (p < 0.01) for the first time compared to previous results obtained in 2000 and 2007. The prevalence of obesity was also significantly higher in 2016 among girls than boys (5.5% versus 3.2%, p = 0.01). This excess risk of overweight or obesity in 2016 persisted between genders even after adjusting for covariates. Among children from Education priority area, 21.0% were overweight or obese versus 15.7% in children living in non-priority area (p = 0.001).DiscussionThese results confirm the stabilization of overweight among girls and show, for the first time, a decrease in boys. They also highlight gender and social inequalities in children in France. These trends will need to be confirmed by other studies, and analyzed in more detail to understand the reasons for these differentiated evolutions between genders.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Liliana Aguayo ◽  
Maria Pineros-Leano ◽  
Rifat B. Alam ◽  
Rosalba Aguirre-Pereyra ◽  
Andiara Schwingel ◽  
...  

Healthy eating and active lifestyles are associated with children’s healthy weight and cognitive development. This study examines whether family behaviors relevant for nutrition and activity levels are associated with children’s working memory, independent of their weight status. A convenience sample of child–caregiver dyads (n = 85 dyads) were recruited from a public preschool serving a low-income community in central Mexico. Caregivers reported the frequency of ten family behaviors using the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity screening tool. Children completed a test of their ability to recall four words after a 60-s distraction task, an assessment of working memory. Multiple linear regression models were used to test the association of children’s working memory with each family behavior, adjusting for children’s sex, age, mother’s age and education, and subjective social status and then also adjusting for children’s age- and sex-specific body mass index percentile (BMI-P) and covariates. Higher frequency of breakfast intake was significantly associated with working memory (β = 0.57, p = 0.013). This association was independent of children’s BMI-P. Other family behaviors (frequent family mealtimes, limiting screen time, and others) were not significantly associated with children’s working memory. Frequent breakfast intake could benefit young children’s working memory, regardless of their weight status. This association merits further investigation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Borg ◽  
D Cauchi ◽  
N Calleja ◽  
C Gauci

Abstract Background The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide, with Malta having one of the highest rates among European countries. Childhood obesity is likely to track into adulthood, and can have multiple physical and psychological health outcomes. It also causes a substantial economic burden on society. A cross-sectional study that aimed to identify barriers to maintaining a healthy weight among children attending primary school, and to assess the level of support for a range of policies aimed at addressing childhood obesity as expressed by their parents/guardians, was conducted in Malta. Methods Data were collected using a paper-based questionnaire that was distributed to a stratified random sample of parents whose children attended free State schools, subsidised Church schools and fee-paying Independent primary schools in Malta and Gozo in 2018. Data were analysed using SPSSv25. Results Responses from 1169 parents were received. There was a dissonance between the most common barriers identified, that were primarily related to the food environment, and the policies that received the most support. Providing more spaces for safe physical activity was the most supported policy (94% in favour). Participants were least supportive of taxation policies, a phenomenon also observed in other countries. The level of support for policies varied significantly by various demographic and socioeconomic factors. Conclusions Recommendations were developed to inform future policies and strategies to address obesity. Policymakers need to take bold, possibly controversial decisions to mitigate against the barriers faced by the population in accessing healthy food and being physically active. Given the globalised nature of media advertising and the food system, a joint international effort is necessary to address this epidemic, such as stricter audio-visual media advertising regulations, food reformulation and mandatory standardised food labels. Key messages The majority of participants supported most of the proposed policies to address obesity. Taxation policies received the least support. Most policies supported are trans-sectoral, therefore a health-in-all policies approach and international collaboration are necessary.


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