Abstract
Objective:
This article analyzes the relationship between socioeconomic status and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the primary school population in Costa Rica.
Design:
A National School Weight/Height Census was disseminated across Costa Rica in 2016. The percentage of children who were overweight or obese was calculated by sex, age, and socioeconomic indicators (type of institution: private, public, mix; type of geographic location: rural, urban; and the level of development of the district of residence: quartiles). A mixed effects multinomial logistic regression model and mixed effects logistic regression model were used to analyze the association between the prevalence of being overweight or obese and district socioeconomic status.
Setting:
The survey was carried out in public and private primary schools across Costa Rica in 2016.
Participants:
347,366 students from 6 to 12 years old, enrolled in public and private primary schools.
Results:
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children was 34.0%. Children in private schools were more likely to be overweight or obese than students in public schools (OR=1.10 [1.07, 1.13]). Additionally, children were less likely to be overweight or obese if attending a school in a district of the lowest socioeconomic quartile compared to the highest socioeconomic quartile (OR=0.79 [0.75, 0.83]), and in a rural area compared to the urban area (OR=0.92 [0.87, 0.97]).
Conclusions:
Childhood obesity in Costa Rica continues to be a public health problem. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children was associated with indicators of higher socioeconomic status.
A Comparative Study of Pupils’ Performance in Quantitative Aptitude Test in Public and Private Primary Schools
