Regional variation in prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents

Abstract

Background/Aims:There are limited data on regional variation of overweight and obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the aim of this report is to explore the magnitude of these variation in order to focus preventive programs to regional needs.Setting and Design:Community-based multistage random sample of representative cohort from each region.Patients and Methods:the study sample was cross-sectional, representative of healthy children and adolescents from 2 to 17 years of age. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to the formula (weight/height2). The 2000 center for disease control reference was used for the calculation of prevalence of overweight and obesity defined as the proportion of children and adolescents whose BMI for age was above 85th and 95th percentiles respectively, for Northern, Southwestern and Central regions of the Kingdom. Chi-square test was used to assess the difference in prevalence between regions and a P value of <0.05 was considered significant.Results:The sample size was 3525, 3413 and 4174 from 2-17 years of age in the Central, Southwestern and Northern regions respectively. The overall prevalence of overweight was 21%, 13.4% and 20.1%, that of obesity was 9.3%, 6% and 9.1% in the Central, Southwestern and Northern regions respectively indicating a significantly-lower prevalence in the Southwestern compared to other regions (P<0.0001).Conclusions:This report revealed significant regional variations important to consider in planning preventive and therapeutic programs tailored to the needs of each region.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Relative to Body Mass Index among School Children in Saudi Arabia

“…However, the rates of overweight and obesity among preschool children were reported as nearly 15% and 6%, respectively [46]. A previous study done by El Mouzan et al reported overall prevalence of overweight was 21%, 13.4% and 20.1%, that of obesity was 9.3%, 6% and 9.1% in the Central, Southwestern and Northern regions from an age group of 2-17 years old [47]. A similar study done by Al-Nuaim et al revealed that the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 37.78% with 19.63% overweight and 18.15% obese amongst the 1270 participants [19].…”

“…The proportion of the total high BMI scores of the sample are alarming and therefore due consideration must be emphasized. According to national cross-sectional survey from 1994 to 1998 in five provinces of Saudi Arabia, overweight was defined as 10.68% and 12.7% for boys and girls, respectively (average 11.69%) and obesity was defined as 5.9% and 6.7% for boys and girls, respectively (average 6.3%) [46][47][48]. The latest national data revealed that the rates of overweight and obesity among school-age children have reached 23% and 9.3%, respectively.…”

Saudi Arabian Mothers’ Child Feeding Practices, Autonomy, and Concern about Child Weight

“…To be eligible for the study, participants answered "yes" to the following questions: Do you have one or more children between the ages of [2][3][4][5][6] …”

“…The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) experienced change in eating habits and activities, influencing the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among Saudi children [1][2][3]. Childhood obesity causes multiple health consequences, prompting attention to childhood obesity across the globe [4][5][6][7].…”

Does visceral adiposity index signify early metabolic risk in children and adolescents?: Association with insulin resistance, adipokines, and subclinical inflammation

“…W orldwide prevalence of childhood obesity has increased at alarming rates: about one-third of the young population is within the range of overweight/obesity (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). This is especially worrying because obesity is associated with subclinical inflammation and confers an increased cardiovascular risk (6,7).…”