The prevalence of obesity and overweight in 1-18-year-old Saudi children.

Ann Saudi Med

Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital and King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Published: June 2007

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children with ages ranging up to 18 years.

Subjects And Methods: The study was a cross-sectional national epidemiological household survey, and the study group included 12071 children (boys 6281; girls 6420), with ages ranging from 1-18 years. Their height and weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The study group was classified as obese or overweight, using age- and sex-specific cut-off points for BMI for determining overweight and obesity in children.

Results: The overall prevalence of overweight was 10.7% and 12.7% in the boys and girls, respectively, and obesity was 6.0% and 6.74% in the two groups, respectively. The children were grouped according to the province to which they belonged, and prevalence of obesity and overweight were calculated for each province. The highest frequency was in the Eastern Province, while the lowest was in the Southern Province. The children were further grouped into 1-6, 6-12 and 12-18-year-olds and prevalence of obesity and overweight was calculated. In addition, at yearly intervals, the prevalence of obesity and overweight was calculated. Among the boys and girls, the maximum prevalence of obesity was in the 2-3 year-olds. A decrease in prevalence was found in both males and females up to the age group of 8-13 years, and then the prevalence increased again up to the 18 years age.

Conclusion: This epidemiological household survey shows the overweight and obesity trends in Saudi children based on the international sex-specific cut-off points for BMI. It also shows a variable prevalence in different age groups until after 13 years, when the prevalence rate increases.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2002.303DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

prevalence obesity
20
obesity overweight
16
saudi children
12
overweight obesity
12
overweight calculated
12
prevalence
11
overweight
9
prevalence overweight
8
obesity
8
ages ranging
8

Similar Publications

Arthropod-borne viral diseases are acute febrile illnesses, sometimes with chronic effects, that can be debilitating and even fatal worldwide, affecting particularly vulnerable populations. Indigenous communities face not only the burden of these acute febrile illnesses, but also the cardiovascular complications that are worsened by urbanization. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an Indigenous population in the Northeast Region of Brazil to explore the association between arboviral infections (dengue, chikungunya, and Zika) and cardiac biomarkers, including cardiotrophin 1, growth differentiation factor 15, lactate dehydrogenase B, fatty-acid-binding protein 3, myoglobin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin I, big endothelin 1, and creatine kinase-MB, along with clinical and anthropometric factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Risk Factors Related to Resting Metabolic Rate-Related Gene Variation in Children with Overweight/Obesity: 3-Year Panel Study.

Nutrients

December 2024

Department of Food & Nutrition & Research Institute of Obesity Sciences, Sungshin Women's University, Dobongro-76gagil-55, Kangbuk-ku, Seoul 01133, Republic of Korea.

Unlabelled: This study investigated how the gene variation related to RMR alteration affects risk factors of obese environments in children with obesity aged 8-9.

Methods: Over a three-year follow-up period, 63.3% of original students participated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in children has been increasing, raising concerns about early detection and clinical management. Adipokines, which are secreted by adipose tissue, play a critical role in metabolic regulation and inflammation, while gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), as a liver enzyme, is linked to oxidative stress and metabolic disorders. The objective was to examine the association of circulating adipokines and GGT with metabolic syndrome risk in school-aged children from Northeast Mexico.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Nutritional status in childhood is associated with a number of short- and long-term health effects. The rising prevalence of childhood obesity highlights the necessity of understanding dietary patterns in children. The study provides an assessment of energy and macronutrient intake and food categories' contribution to energy intake in Croatian primary school children, according to BMI status.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Is There a Relationship Between Physical Performance Factors and Adverse Reactions to Foodstuffs? The ALASKA Study.

Nutrients

December 2024

ImFINE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

An optimal physical condition has beneficial effects in adults at risk of chronic diseases. However, research data on how adverse reactions to food (ARFSs) are linked to physical performance are lacking. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the prevalence of ARFS according to age; (b) to analyze physical performance level according to the type of ARFS; and (c) to determine the probability of having a positive ARFS according to physical performance levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!