Childhood overweight and obesity among the Saudi population: a case-control study among school children

Abstract

Background Childhood obesity is a global public health concern with major consequences. In Saudi Arabia, the percentage of children who are overweight or obese has significantly increased in the past two decades, raising concerns about the physical and psychosocial consequences of this burden. This study aimed at investigating the different risk factors contributing to childhood obesity in Saudi Arabia. Methods A case-control study was conducted among 492 school children (246 overweight/obese children, and 246 normal weight control children aged 5-9 years). Using valid and reliable instruments, parental and child characteristics, behavioral practices, screen use, and other activities were assessed as risk factors for childhood obesity using logistic regression analysis. Results An unemployed father (OR=11.90; 95% CI: 7.47-18.93), a father with overweight/obesity (OR=2.04; 95% CI: 1.40-2.96), an incorrect parental perception of child’s weight status (OR=2.54; 95% CI: 1.75-3.68), cesarean delivery (OR=2.52; 95% CI: 1.56-4.09), daily time in active play for less than 30 min (OR=2.18; 95% CI: 1.44-3.28), frequent snacking (OR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.05-2.93), and screen time use for more than 2 h per day outside of school (OR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.12-2.34) were all independent risk factors for being overweight or obese among the selected cases. Conclusion Efforts to prevent childhood overweight and obesity in this population should focus primarily on the early identification and confrontation of risk factors. Such risk factors include parental characteristics and awareness of the magnitude of the burden obesity poses, behavioral practices such as frequent snacking, screen time use, and physical activity.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among saudi children: A comparison of two widely used international standards and the national growth references

“…It appears that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Saudi children and adolescents has been rising over the last decades ( 9 , 10 ). Recently, it was observed that the most important risk factors for obesity among Saudi children 5–9 years-of-age are parental characteristics, awareness of the degree of obesity burden, and lifestyle behaviors, such as frequent snacking, physical inactivity, and screen time ( 27 ). Also, among Saudi children and adolescents, obesity and other risk factors were found to have a significant impact on abnormal glucose metabolism ( 28 ).…”

Obesity and Body Image Perception among the Community in Saudi Arabia: A Mini Literature Review

“…Overall, 63.6% of Hail's population was found to be obese. In addition, the sample population of the poll showed that women outnumbered men by a ratio of 71% to 56.2% [3]. The study by Al-Qahtani [6] revealed a significant incidence of overweight and obesity, which should be treated as a public health issue and addressed with targeted community-level interventions and interdisciplinary activities starting in early infancy as a fundamental prevention program.…”

İstanbul'da 6-15 Yaş Arası Çocuklarda Obezite Prevalansı

“…It is stated that intervention strategies should consider screen time, including total screen time, television time, computer time, and smartphone use, to prevent childhood overweight/obesity 21 . There are also studies stating that unhealthy snacks consumed while watching TV are as effective as screen time in the development of obesity 22 . In our study, no relationship was found between obesity and screen time.…”