Micro-environmental and socio-demographic determinants of childhood obesity

Abstract

AIM:To review the available data in Spain about the socio-demographic and home environmental determinants in children and adolescents. METHOD: Review of the main studies conducted in Spain that have analysed the relationship between overweight and socioeconomic and environmental determinants in children and adolescents. RESULTS: In children aged 6-7 y from Aragó n (Spain), the socio-demographic determinants of childhood overweight were size of municipality, year of examination, gender, and province; in adolescents aged 13-14 y, the socio-demographic determinants were year of examination, type of school, size of municipality, gender, and province; overweight showed a significant positive main effect with public schools and low municipality size. In a nationally representative sample of Spanish adolescents from 13 to 18.5 y (AVENA Study), there was a significant relationship between overweight and socio-economic status in males but not in females; in males, the lowest overweight prevalences were observed in both extreme socio-economic groups; moreover, overweight prevalences increased when socio-economic status decreased, from the high to the medium-low socio-economic group. The studied variables related with family environment did not show any significant effect in overweight prevalence. CONCLUSION: Better knowledge of the relationship between social class and childhood obesity would lead to clearer hypotheses for the relationship in adults and might improve the preventive measures by identifying children at risk.

Sobrepeso: uma nova realidade no estado nutricional de pré-escolares de Natal, RN

“…A grande preocupação é que essa transição já vem ocorrendo na faixa etária pediátrica, com prevalências de sobrepeso semelhantes àquelas encontradas nos países desenvolvidos, como Inglaterra 25 , Estados Unidos 3 e Canadá 26 . No entanto, nestes países, o excesso de peso vem atingindo gradativa e mais freqüentemente o indivíduo de menor poder aquisitivo, onde o aspecto financeiro deixa de ter tanta importância, passando a ser considerados de maior risco os indiví-duos com baixo acesso à educação [27][28][29][30][31] . Neste estudo, os resultados apresentados revelaram diferença altamente significante entre a prevalência de excesso de peso de escolas públicas e privadas, com maiores percentuais para as últimas, demonstrando um padrão típico e ainda vigente em países em desenvolvimento [27][28][29][30][31][32] .…”

Inflammatory mediators in overweight and obese Spanish adolescents. The AVENA Study

“…In the analyzed sample of the AVENA study, including immunological data, females showed a prevalence of 17% of overweight and 4% of obesity; the figures for males were 22 and 8%, respectively. Detailed information of overweight and obesity prevalence within the complete AVENA study is described elsewhere in this supplement by Moreno et al 14 Characteristics of the two groups are shown in Table 1. There were no age differences between groups; however, as expected, we found significantly higher BMI and sum of skinfolds, reflecting more adipose tissue in the overweight/ obesity groups.…”

Assessing, understanding and modifying nutritional status, eating habits and physical activity in European adolescents: The HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study

“…Adolescence is a crucial period in life and implies multiple physiological and psychological changes that affect nutritional needs and habits 7,8 . Existing research indicates that risk factors for noncommunicable diseases have to be placed in an ecological context, which needs a collaborative strategy within the multiple sectors that impact on the diseases 9 . Inadequate dietary habits and physical inactivity are the major preventable risk factors for the occurrence of non-communicable diseases 10 .…”