Prevalence and Correlates of Preschool Overweight and Obesity Amidst the Nutrition Transition: Findings from a National Cross-Sectional Study in Lebanon

Abstract

There is increasing evidence linking early life adiposity to disease risk later in life. This study aims at determining the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among preschoolers in Lebanon. A national cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 2–5 years old children (n = 525). Socio-demographic, lifestyle, dietary, and anthropometric data were obtained. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated at 6.5% and 2.7%, respectively. Based on stepwise logistic regression for the prediction of overweight and obesity (combined), the variance accounted for by the first block (socioeconomic, parental characteristics) was 11.9%, with higher father’s education (OR = 5.31, 95% CI: 1.04–27.26) and the presence of household helper (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.05–4.56) being significant predictors. The second block of variables (eating habits) significantly improved the prediction of overweight/obesity to reach 21%, with eating in front of the television (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02–1.13) and satiety responsiveness (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70–0.99) being significantly associated with overweight/obesity. In the third block, fat intake remained a significant predictor of overweight/obesity (OR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.13–4.75). This study identified specific risk factors for preschool overweight/obesity in Lebanon and characterized children from high socioeconomic backgrounds as important target groups for preventive interventions. These findings may be of significance to other middle-income countries in similar stages of nutrition transition.

A traditional dietary pattern is associated with lower odds of overweight and obesity among preschool children in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study

“…The observed positive association between maternal education and adherence to the Traditional dietary pattern may seem contradictory to the fact that maternal education was also found to be significantly associated with a higher risk of preschool overweight in this study. In this context, it is important to note that maternal education may be reflective of a higher socioeconomic status (SES) of the household, suggesting an increased risk of preschool overweight with higher SES [27]. In line with this hypothesis, all the other SES indicators (paternal education; presence of paid helper; type of school) adopted in this study were also found to be associated with a higher risk of overweight amongst Lebanese preschoolers [27].…”

“…Details about the questionnaire development are shown elsewhere [27]. This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and the study protocol and procedures were approved by the Institutional Research Board, American University of Beirut (Protocol number NUT.LN.13).…”

“…Information on the type of school the child attends (private vs public) was also obtained since the formal age of schooling is 3 years in Lebanon [27,28]. The child's eating habits were also assessed, including the weekly frequency of breakfast and snack consumption, eating the same meal with the family, eating in front of the television (TV) and eating out.…”

Review of the nutrition situation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

“…Food availability data highlight a shift towards an increasingly energy-dense diet and higher intake of fat in the Region, with a parallel decreasing trend in carbohydrate availability. This trend is confirmed by dietary assessment surveys, which also document high intake of fat, and a shift towards a westernized diet (159,162,(165)(166)(167)(168). Nearly half of the countries in the Region had fat supply levels at or above the reported global average of 81.8 g/person/day (169).…”

Peer Review #2 of "Bibliometric analysis of research on the role of intestinal microbiota in obesity (v0.1)"

“…The percentage of intestinal microbiota 281 related publications in the field of obesity research has been soaring in recent years. (Nasreddine et al 2017), so this study reveals the necessity of developed countries to support the 293 developing regions in gut microbiota and obesity-related research in order to address this issue 294 on a global scale.…”