Prevalence of Obesity Among Urban School Children of Kochi City

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To study the prevalence of obesity and overweight among urban school children in Kochi. SETTING AND DESIGN: Secondary data analysis of a school-based cross sectional study of an urban school of Kochi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a private school in Kochi, India. A total of 1178 school children in the age group of 6-15 years were studied. Weight and height of each student was measured using standard measures and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. For children and teens, after BMI is calculated, the BMI number is plotted on the CDC BMI-for-age growth charts (for either girls or boys) to obtain a percentile ranking.Statistical analysis: Chi-square test. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight (≥85th percentile) among children was 10.1% and prevalence of obesity (>95th percentile) was 5.6%. Boys had the highest prevalence of overweight (11.5%) and obesity (6.53%). Male children from private schools and urban areas were at greater risk of being overweight and obese. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood obesity is a problem in boys and requires timely intervention for its control.