Changes in the prevalence of overweight/obesity and adiposity among pre-school children in Kraków, Poland, from 2008 to 2018

Abstract

Socioeconomic changes occurring over time influence the lifestyle choices of a population, and these can significantly affect children’s body weight and composition. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in prevalence of overweight, obesity and adiposity in pre-school children in Poland between 2008 and 2018. Body height, body weight and subscapular and triceps skinfolds were measured in 2167 children aged 3–7 years from Kraków. Body mass index and adiposity (percentage body fat, %BF) were calculated for the children, who were then categorized as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese according to Cole’s cut-off points. Adiposity was categorized according to the z-scores for %BF as low (<−1), normal (−1 to 1) or high (>1). Differences between cohorts were analysed using the chi-squared test. Only the decrease in the prevalence of obesity in 5-year-old girls was found to be statistically significant. However, some overall tendencies were noted. Decreases in the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity were observed for both sexes, as well as in the incidence of high adiposity in boys and low adiposity in girls. Increases in the prevalence of high adiposity in girls and low adiposity in boys were also noted. There was no significant change in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among pre-school children over the study decade, and the visible tendencies included decreases in the prevalence of excess body weight and adiposity as well as underweight and low body fat. Also, the visible trends in adiposity were mostly negative. Further studies should, however, also consider the levels of physical fitness and activity of children, as these have a crucial influence on the measured characteristics.

Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, Abdominal Obesity, and Obesity-Related Risk Factors in Polish Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Pooled results from all analyzed studies showed sensitivity of 73%, suggesting over a quarter of children not labelled as obese by BMI might indeed have excess adiposity [47]. Similar outcomes was found in study among Polish preschool children form Krakow City [48], which combined with present study outcomes could suggest that associations between excess adiposity and excess weight among Polish children stays in line with the findings form other high developed countries.…”

Further reductions in the prevalence of obesity in 4-year-old New Zealand children from 2017 to 2019

“…What is producing these marked declines in the prevalence of high BMI, particularly across all groups examined, is uncertain. Others have suggested that contributions towards declines in overweight and obesity in preschool children could include: efforts to focus on public health interventions and initiatives (promoting healthy eating and physical activity) [ 25 , 29 , 30 ], increased parental education [ 29 , 33 ], decreasing unemployment rates [ 33 ], decreased maternal smoking during pregnancy [ 23 ], increased breastfeeding prevalence [ 23 ] and increasing proportion of mothers born overseas where lower population BMIs are present [ 35 ]. A recent analysis of New Zealand data suggests that continued reductions in maternal smoking during pregnancy may be at least playing a part in the decline found in our study [ 39 ].…”

Prevalence and associated factors of overweight and obesity among primary school children: a cross-sectional study in Thanhhoa City, Vietnam

“…In Vietnam, the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19 years soared from 8.5% in 2010 to 19.0% in 2020 7. Data from other countries (such as Spain,8 China,9–12 Greece,13 Poland14 and Australia15) also showed the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. Generally, obesity in childhood is a worldwide epidemic requiring urgent actions and practical interventions.…”