上海市静安区中小学生肥胖状况2种标准评价比较

目的应用1985年“身高标准体重”和2003年国际生命科学会中国肥胖工作组(WGOC)制定的“中国儿童青少年超重、肥胖BMI分类标准建议”比较静安区中小学生的肥胖状况。方法2002~2004年,静安区营养监测点7~18岁的学生,分别用1985年“身高标准体重”法和WGOC标准筛选肥胖、超重,比较2种标准筛选出的肥胖学生特征。结果(1)用身高标准体重、WGOC标准筛选出的肥胖率分别为16.44%和10.51%,超重率分别为12.90%和15.31%;(2)不同年份、不同年龄、不同性别学生中,用2种标准筛选出的肥胖率和超重率存在明显不一致性;有4.41%(734/16 640)的学生用身高标准体重不能进行筛选,其中男生13~17岁组占91.69%(673/734);(3)2种标准筛选的肥胖学生均表现为小学生高于中学生,男生高于女生。结论随着我国青少年发育的快速变化,1985年身高标准体重已不能客观反映儿童青少年中的肥胖、超重水平,而WGOC标准能很好地区分正常体重、超重、肥胖学生。     

Overweight and obesity in Irish primary schools: retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: This retrospective cohort study investigates the feasibility of using established methods and routinely generated data from the statutory primary school health-screening programme to estimate prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity in children from a rural area in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). METHOD: Paper-based records in the primary school health service for County Leitrim and parts of County Cavan in north-west of ROI were hand searched to identify children attending senior infant classes during academic year 2001/2002. Electronic calculation of body mass index (BMI) and age at examination was carried out. Application of age- and sex-specific cut-off points from International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and United Kingdom (UK) standard definitions for childhood overweight and obesity was used to determine age- and sex-specific prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity. RESULTS: The eligible cohort was almost completely identified and consisted of 361 children. Weight and height measurements were available on 328 (91%) children aged between 4.22 and 7.92 years. IOTF standard application gave prevalence rates of 25% for obesity and overweight in boys and 26% in girls. With the UK growth standard, this increased to 34% in boys and reduced to 23% in girls. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to generate prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity from data routinely obtained through the statutory school health-screening programme in ROI. This study suggests levels of childhood overweight and obesity comparable to other Western societies. Further research on developing a universally accepted standard definition of childhood overweight and obesity is required.     

中国2～18岁儿童青少年超重和肥胖筛查体重指数界值点的研究

目的 研究中国2～18岁儿童青少年超重、肥胖筛查体重指数(BMI)界值点.方法 在中国0～18岁儿童青少年BMI生长参照值的基础上,根据常用的超重、肥胖筛查界值点选择方法(与成年人界值点接轨法、百分位法或Z分值法),初步分别确定[BMI 24kg/m2 (BMI24)、28 kg/m2(BMI28)]、(P85、P95)和(Z1、Z2)三组界值点,通过对不同界值点进行差值和检出率比较,并与中国肥胖问题工作组(WGOC)和国际肥胖问题工作组(IOTF)的超重、肥胖界值点做对比分析,最后确定适宜界值点.结果 按照不同的超重、肥胖筛查BMI界值点选择方法获得三组界值点,不同界值点之间存在不同程度差异,但在超重合并肥胖检出率上差异相对较小.与WGOC相比,男章超重、肥胖及女童肥胖界值点非常接近,女童在8.5～15.5岁其超重界值点比WGOC标准低0.3～1.0 kg/m2,通过筛查"2004年北京市儿童代谢综合征调查"数据库,女童超重检出率比WGOC标准高约3.4%.结论 采用与成年人界值点接轨法(BMI24、BMI28)获得的中国2～18岁儿童青少年超重、肥胖筛查BMI界值点是适宜的,实现了在使用BMI指标上年龄的连贯性和筛查标准的一致性.     

西安市0~7岁儿童17年间超重/肥胖的流行趋势分析

目的 了解西安市17年间儿童超重/肥胖的变化情况,为制定有效的干预措施提供理论依据。方法 按照整群随机抽样方式,兼顾全市地理分布及经济状况,抽取了莲湖、未央和临潼3个区的0~7岁儿童10 374人,男5 498人,女4 876人。以WHO 2007身高别体重肥胖标准作为诊断超重和肥胖的指标,筛查出超重/肥胖儿童,并与1996年同年龄段儿童超重/肥胖率进行比较。对3岁及以上超重/肥胖儿童发放自行设计的0~7岁儿童饮食行为调查问卷。结果 1)2013年0~7岁儿童的超重率为16.87%,肥胖率为8.18%。2)2013年0～7岁男、女童超重率较1996年增加了约2倍,差异有高度统计学意义(χ²=413.611,401.898,P<0.001)。2013年0～7岁儿童不同年龄段肥胖率的均显著高于1996年。3)超重/肥胖儿童食欲好,进食速度快,喜食甜饮料与肉食。结论 17年间西安市城区0~7岁儿童超重/肥胖显著增高,培养儿童良好的饮食行为习惯,制定儿童超重/肥胖的干预措施势在必行。     

Cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese Chinese children

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a widespread and growing problem in the world. Body mass index (BMI) and weight-for-height criterion have been used to determine childhood obesity. No data was available to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese Chinese children screened by weight-for-height index and Chinese newly developed BMI criterion. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese Chinese children by using Chinese BMI and weight-for-height index as screening criterion. METHODS: A total of 215 children aged 7.5-13 years were recruited from 3 primary schools in Guangzhou, PR China. Measurements included body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, fasting serum glucose, insulin, total triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A (apo A), apolipoprotein B (apo B). Chinese BMI and weight-for- height criterion were used to classify overweight and obesity. RESULTS: According to Chinese BMI criterion, 65 from 108 obese children originally identified by weight-for-height were reclassified as obese and other 41 children were classified as overweight. Compared with non-obese children, obese children screened by Chinese BMI and weight-for-height index had increased levels of TG, LDL-C, apo B, insulin; decreased levels of HDL-C, apo A; and significantly higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and high LDL-C. Children identified as overweight by Chinese BMI criterion had also shown high TG, LDL-C, apo B, insulin levels, low HDL-C, apo A levels, and significantly higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia than the normal weight children. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that overweight and/or obesity screened by both Chinese new BMI and weight-for-height criterion are associated with increased levels of cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., elevated serum TG, LDL, apo B, and reduced HDL-C, apo A levels). Using Chinese BMI criterion may underestimate the prevalence of childhood obesity but it could be adopted as a unique tool for screening children's overweight in population-based screening programs.     

Percent body fat cutoff values for classifying overweight and obesity recommended by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) in Korean children

OBJECTIVE: To predict the percent body fat (%BF) cutoff values corresponding to overweight and obesity recommended by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) in Korean children and to compare those values with the published cutoff values in Caucasian children. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The sample consisted of 1083 Korean children and adolescents (555 boys and 528 girls) aged 7-18 years from 3 schools. Body mass index (BMI) and %BF using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer were measured. The classification of overweight and obesity was based on the age- and sex-specific BMI cutoff values of the IOTF guidelines. RESULTS: The predicted %BF cutoff values for overweight and obesity varied by age and sex: overweight, 17-22% in boys and 24-37% in girls; obesity, 24-30% in boys and 30-53% in girls. Those %BF cutoff values in older Korean boys tended to be lower than the published %BF cutoff values in Caucasian boys. While %BF cutoff values for overweight in Korean girls were similar to the values in Caucasian girls, %BF cutoff values for obesity in Korean girls aged 13-18 years were higher compared to cutoff values in Caucasian girls. CONCLUSION: The %BF values associated with the IOTF-recommended BMI cutoff values for overweight and obesity may require age- and sex-specific cutoff values in Korean children aged 7-18 years.     

西安市城区2009年7~18岁儿童、青少年超重和肥胖流行病学调查

【目的】 了解西安市城区儿童、青少年超重和肥胖的发病情况。 【方法】 随机整群抽取西安市城区7~18岁中小学生13 994人,采用体质指数(body mass index,BMI)诊断超重和肥胖。采用三次样条对西安市7~18岁儿童青少年体重、身高和BMI百分位数进行拟合,将身高,体重P₅₀,及BMI的P₈₅、P₉₅百分位数值与2005年中国全国标准进行比较。 【结果】 西安市城区7~18岁中小学生超重总发病率为10.42%,男生和女生分别为11.85%和8.83%;肥胖总发病率为4.67%,男生和女生分别为4.92%和4.40%。男生身高P₅₀值在10~15岁(除12岁)比全国标准稍低,男女体重和女生身高P₅₀中位数与全国数值基本接近;男生BMI的P₈₅、P₉₅数值与2005年全国水平基本接近;女生P₈₅和P₉₅值在14岁以前与全国水平基本接近,15岁后有所减低。 【结论】 西安市中小学肥胖发病率在17年间增加了一倍,制定预防儿童超重和肥胖的有效措施势在必行。     

大连市儿童青少年体重指数分布状况

目的探讨大连市儿童青少年体重指数的分布特征,为预防儿童青少年的超重、肥胖提供相关依据。方法整群抽取大连市区1635名儿童青少年进行身高和体重测量。按照中国肥胖问题工作组（WGOC）推荐的“中国儿童青少年超重、肥胖筛查BMI值分类标准”诊断超重与肥胖。结果大连市儿童青少年体重指数随着年龄的增加而增加,年龄越大BMI值越大;男生不同年龄、女生不同年龄BMI值之间差异有统计学意义;对同一年龄不同性别儿童青少年BMI值进行Z检验,结果表明除7岁、9岁年龄组外,其他年龄段男女生BMI值之间差异均有统计学意义,且男生BMI值均高于女生;不同年龄男生肥胖率变化趋势无明显的规律性,女生肥胖率在9岁后逐年下降,而超重率在10岁后却逐年上升。结论应重视儿童青少年超重、肥胖的预防工作。     

Childhood obesity: the extent of the problem among 6-year-old Irish national school children

Background Childhood obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide. In Ireland, the number of overweight children has trebled over the last decade. The study aimed to provide an assessment of the prevalence of obesity of 6‐year‐old children in one region of Ireland. Methods Following training, School Public Health Nurses included the measurement of height and weight as part of the annual ‘senior infants’ school health check for 5453 6‐year‐old children in 189 schools between 2004 and 2007. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the International Obesity Taskforce cut‐off points using lmsGrowth (a Microsoft Excel add‐in), which uses a child's exact age. Kendall's Tau b was used to determine the reliability of measurements. Prevalence trends were tested using multinomial logistic regression. Pearson's chi‐squared test was utilized to assess the statistical significance of differences in BMI by gender, school year, and to compare with similar other Irish studies. Results Out of the 5453 children measured, 3493 were aged 6 years old. A further 11 were excluded because of incomplete data. Data were analysed for 3482 6‐year‐old children. Overall, 27% of 6‐year‐olds were classified as either overweight or obese. A significantly greater proportion of girls are overweight or obese compared with boys (31% compared with 23%). Gender differences have remained relatively stable from 2004–2007. Overall, there have been no significant changes in the level of obesity from 2004–2007. In addition, when comparing with other Irish studies that collected data for 2001/2, there are no significant differences in obesity levels. Conclusions There is a clear need to urgently prioritize the effective management of obesity. Resourses should now be targeted towards ensuring government policies in Ireland and elsewhere are implemented.     

Prevalence and regional differences in overweight in 2001 and trends in BMI distribution in Swedish children from 1987 to 2001

AIMS: This study was undertaken to assess current prevalence and regional differences of overweight in 2001 and changes in body mass index (BMI) distribution between 1987 and 2001 in Swedish adolescents. METHODS: Comparison was made of two independent samples. For assessment of prevalence and regional differences in 2001, a total of 1732 subjects were used. For trend analyses a total of 1,949 children (516 and 1,470 in 1987 and 2001, respectively), aged 10, 13, and 16 years. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight in 2001 was between 21.7% and 13.3% for boys and girls aged 10 to 16 years and the prevalence of obesity was between 2.9% and 6.2%. Mean BMI as well as prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in subjects from schools in smaller towns or from the countryside. Median BMI among adolescents changed from 1987 to 2001, most notably in 13- and 16-year-old children. The prevalence of overweight and obesity combined has changed more than 2.5-fold in children aged 10 to 16 years. In this study, the most pronounced elevation in BMI is found in the upper part of the BMI spectrum. This change is especially apparent in girls. CONCLUSION: The change in mean BMI and prevalence of overweight and obesity in children in this study is mainly due to the pronounced change in BMI at the upper end of the spectrum, indicating that the factors leading to overweight or obesity have changed in only a subgroup of the child population.     

中国6~17岁儿童青少年超重肥胖流行特征

目的 分析我国6~17岁儿童青少年超重肥胖流行情况,为制定肥胖防治策略提供科学依据。方法 利用"2010-2012年中国居民营养与健康状况监测"中6~17岁儿童青少年调查资料,分析我国儿童青少年超重肥胖现状。6岁儿童采用WHO 2007年推荐的分年龄性别BMI超重肥胖判定标准判定超重肥胖,7~17岁儿童青少年采用《中国学龄儿童青少年超重和肥胖预防与控制指南》中的分年龄、性别的BMI超重肥胖判定标准进行判定。结果 6~17岁儿童青少年超重率和肥胖率分别为9.6%和6.4%,其中城市儿童青少年超重率和肥胖率分别为11.0%（男生：12.8%,女生：9.0%）和7.7%（男生：9.7%,女生：5.5%）,农村儿童青少年超重率和肥胖率分别为8.4%（男生：9.3%,女生：7.4%）和5.2%（男生：6.2%,女生：4.1%）。按家庭经济收入水平分,高、中和低家庭收入儿童青少年的超重率分别为12.3%、10.7%和8.2%,肥胖率分别为8.6%、7.2%和5.7%。结论 2012年,我国6~17岁儿童青少年超重肥胖表现为城市高于农村,男生高于女生;患病率与家庭经济收入水平有关。     

Association between overweight or obesity and household income and parental body mass index in Australian youth: analysis of the Australian National Nutrition Survey, 1995

This study is a secondary data analysis based on the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey (NNS). A random subsample of 1581 school children aged 7-15 years old from the NNS was studied. The results show the prevalence of overweight, obesity and combined overweight and obesity was 10.6-20.9%, 3.7-7.2% and 15.6-25.7%, respectively. The odds ratio of overweight or obese boys with highest household income was significantly smaller than those with the lowest household income. The proportion of combined overweight and obesity in children whose parents were overweight or obese was significantly greater compared with those whose parents were not. The trend of increasing prevalence of overweight or obesity among children with increasing parental body mass index (BMI) was significant after adjusting for age except the trend of father's BMI for boys. This study provided baseline data on the recent prevalence of overweight or obesity of Australian school children using new international absolute BMI cut-off points. It indicated that young school girls (7-9 years) were more likely to be overweight or obese compared with boys, the prevalence rates of overweight or obesity in older boys (13-15 year) was significantly greater than in other age groups while in girls it was the opposite. The boys with lowest household income ($0-17 500) were more likely to be overweight or obese compared with those with the highest household income (greater than $67 500). Having parents especially mothers who were overweight or obese may increase the risk of children being overweight or obese.     

Obesity among pre-adolescent and adolescents of a developing country (India)

There are very few reports from the developing world on the prevalence of obesity among children even though in developed countries it has reached epidemic proportions. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity in pre-adolescent and adolescent children in a developing country (India) using WHO guidelines for defining obesity and overweight. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 2008 school-children aged 9-15 years. Approximately half the subjects belonged to a school attended by children of well to do families while the rest belonged to two schools from middle and lower socio-economic background. Weight and height were taken for all children and the body mass index (BMI) calculated. Children whose BMI was >85th percentile for age and sex were defined as overweight. Triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) was measured for all overweight children and those with TSFT >90th percentile for age and sex were defined as obese. The overall prevalence of obesity and overweight was 11.1% and 14.2% respectively. The prevalence of obesity as well as overweight was higher in boys as compared to girls (12.4% vs 9.9%, 15.7% vs 12.9%). Prevalence of obesity decreased significantly with age, from 18.5% at 9 years to 7.6% at 14 years, rising at 15 years to 12.1%. Significantly more children from higher socio-economic status were obese and overweight than those from lower socio-economic status groups. No significant gender difference for obesity prevalence was seen among children from a less privileged background, however, amongst children from affluent families, significantly more boys were obese as compared to girls. Pediatric obesity is an emerging problem in developing countries, especially among higher socio-economic status groups. Significant gender disparity is seen, with boys of affluent background having a higher prevalence.     

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in a national representative sample of Greek children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Greek school age children and adolescents. DESIGN: Nationwide representative survey. SETTING: Primary and secondary schools all over Greece. SUBJECTS: In all, 6448 students (50.4% boys, 49.6% girls) 6-17 years old. METHOD: A nationwide multistage procedure was followed to obtain a representative sample of youths. Body mass and height were measured by trained personnel. Data were collected between October 1990 and May 1991. RESULTS: According to the 12-month-International Obesity Task Force cutoff values, the overall prevalence of overweight was 17.3% (16.9% for boys, 17.6% for girls). The rate of obesity was 3.6% (3.8% for boys, 3.3% for girls). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was decreasing with age in girls (6-9 years: 23.2 and 6.7%, respectively, 10-17 years: 14.8 and 1.6%, respectively). In boys, the prevalence of overweight was higher in 10-17 years (19.3 and 2.7%, for the rate of overweight and obesity, respectively) than in 6-9 years (12.1 and 5.9%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Greek children and adolescents is comparable to that reported for most European countries.     

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in urban and semi-urban Jordanian children aged 3-6 years

Objectives   To show the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the Jordanian urban and semi-urban children; to compare their body mass index (BMI) with the international standards of BMI.
Methods   We measured 1695 healthy children (842 boys and 853 girls) between 3 and 6 years for height, weight and mid upper arm circumference. BMI was calculated and transformed into percentiles. Children were divided into boys and girls.
Results   The mean and SD values of BMI observed in our study were 16.69 ± 4.9 kg/m² for boys and 16.82 ± 4.77 kg/m² for girls aged 3–6 years. The prevalence of obesity and overweight among boys was 20.8% and 3.8% respectively and among girls was 19.1% and 7.2% respectively. In total, 48.0% of boys and 38.1% of girls were of healthy weight.
Conclusions   The mean BMI observed in our study's children aged 3–6 years was higher than the expected 50th percentile of the (World Health Organization/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reference values for a similar age range but, it was equivalent to the 75th percentile values. Obesity was more frequent than overweight among boys and girls aged 3–6 years.     

Augmenting BMI and Waist-Height Ratio for Establishing More Efficient Obesity Percentiles among School-going Children

Research Questions:

1. Are all the existing methods for estimating the obesity and overweight in school going children in India equally efficient? 2. How to derive more efficient obesity percentiles to determine obesity and overweight status in school-going children aged 7-12 years old?

Objectives:

1. To investigate and analyze the prevalence rate of obesity and overweight children in India, using the established standards. 2. To compare the efficiency among the tools with the expected levels in the Indian population. 3. To establish and demonstrate the higher efficiency of the proposed percentile chart.

Study Design:

A cross-sectional study using a completely randomized design.

Settings:

Government, private-aided, unaided, and central schools in the Thrissur district of Kerala.

Participants:

A total of 1500 boys and 1500 girls aged 7-12 years old.

Results:

BMI percentiles, waist circumference percentiles, and waist to height ratio are the ruling methodologies in establishing the obese and overweight relations in school-going children. Each one suffers from the disadvantage of not considering either one or more of the obesity contributing factors in human growth dynamics, the major being waist circumference and weight. A new methodology for mitigating this defect through considering BMI and waist circumference simultaneously for establishing still efficient percentiles to arrive at obesity and overweight status is detailed here. Age-wise centiles for obesity and overweight status separately for boys and girls aged 7-12 years old were established. Comparative efficiency of this methodology over BMI had shown that this could mitigate the inability of BMI to consider waist circumference. Also, this had the advantage of considering body weight in obesity analysis, which is the major handicap in waist to height ratio. An analysis using a population of 1500 boys and 1500 girls has yielded 3.6% obese and 6.2% overweight samples, which is well within the accepted range for Indian school-going children.

Conclusion:

The percentiles for school-going children based on age and sex were derived by comparing all other accepted standards used for measurement of obesity and overweight status. Hence, augmenting BMI and waist to height ratio is considered to be the most reliable method for establishing obesity percentiles among school-going children.     

徐州市0~7岁儿童身高、体重与体质指数研究

目的:对比世界通用的一些标准,建立徐州市0~7岁儿童年龄别身高(HFA)、年龄别体重(WFA)及年龄别体质指数(BM I)百分位标准及体质指数超重和肥胖界值点。方法:①采用分层整群随机抽样法,收集徐州市0~7岁儿童11 747例的性别、出生年月及2002~2004年身高和体重测量资料。②应用LMS方法建立徐州市0~7岁儿童HFA、WFA和BM I百分位曲线。结果:①运用LMS软件,分别获得0~7岁男女童HFA、WFA和BM I百分位曲线各9条,为P3、P5、P10、P25、P50、P75、P90、P95和P97。②徐州市男女童的身高随年龄不断增加,男童到6岁以后逐渐减缓,女童5岁后逐渐减缓。徐州市男女童的身高在7岁之前均大于WHO标准。③徐州市男女童的体重随年龄不断增加,到6岁以后均逐渐减缓。徐州市男女童体重7岁之前均高于WHO标准。④根据国际肥胖工作小组制定的7岁男女儿童肥胖和超重界值点,徐州市男女童7岁时通过该界值点的BM I百分位分别为:男童第72.6和第92.6,女童第82.1和第96.5。7岁男女童的超重流行率分别为27.4%和17.9%,肥胖流行率分别为7.4%和3.5%,在性别上存在差异。结论:应用LMS软件,获得了徐州市0~7岁儿童身高、体重和BM I百分位参考值。     

广东省2002-2012年6~17岁儿童青少年超重/肥胖变化趋势分析

目的 分析2002-2012年广东省6～17岁儿童青少年超重/肥胖的流行状况及其变化趋势。方法 2002年营养调查采用多阶段分层与整群随机抽样方法,在全省抽取13个监测点共7 075名6～17岁儿童青少年进行调查。2009-2012年的广东省居民营养调查采用多阶段分层整群随机抽样的方法,在广东省9区/县城乡调查点抽取2 319名6～17岁儿童青少年,进行身高和体重测量。结果 2009-2012年广东省6～17岁儿童青少年平均超重率和肥胖率分别为7.3%和4.5%,男生超重率和肥胖率（8.9%和6.5%）均高于女生（5.3%和2.2%）,城市超重率和肥胖率（9.3%和5.6%）均高于农村（4.7%和3.2%）;以9～11岁组超重率（8.8%）和肥胖率（6.0%）最高。与2002年比较,除城市女生肥胖率下降外,城市男生、农村男生和女生的超重率和肥胖率均明显上升,其中农村超重和肥胖增幅高于城市,男生增幅高于女生。结论 广东省6～17岁儿童青少年超重和肥胖率较2002年有较大上升,其中农村、男生和9～11岁超重/肥胖比例较高,应重点关注。     

Prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in 9-10 year old children in Mauritius

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To document the prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in 9-10 year old children in Mauritius. METHODS: 412 boys and 429 girls aged 9-10 years from 23 primary schools were selected using stratified cluster random sampling. All data was cross-sectional and collected via anthropometry and self-administered questionnaire. Outcome measures were BMI (kg/m2), prevalence of overweight, obesity (International Obesity Task Force definitions) and thinness (low BMI for age). Linear and logistic regression analyses, accounting for clustering at the school level, were used to assess associations between gender, ethnicity, school location, and school's academic performance (average) to each outcome measure. RESULTS: The distribution of BMI was marginally skewed with a more pronounced positive tail in the girls. Median BMI was 15.6 kg/m2 in boys and 15.4 kg/m2 in girls, respectively. In boys, prevalence of overweight was 15.8% (95% CI: 12.6, 19.6), prevalence of obesity 4.9% (95% CI: 3.2, 7.4) and prevalence of thinness 12.4% (95% CI: 9.5, 15.9). Among girls, 18.9% (95% CI: 15.5, 22.9) were overweight, 5.1% (95% CI: 3.4, 7.7) were obese and 13.1% (95% CI: 10.2, 16.6) were thin. Urban children had a slightly higher mean BMI than rural children (0.5 kg/m2, 95% CI: 0.01, 1.00) and were nearly twice as likely to be obese (6.7% vs. 4.0%; adjusted odds ratio 1.6; 95% CI: 0.9, 3.5). Creole children were less likely to be classified as thin compared to Indian children (adjusted odds ratio 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.6). CONCLUSION: Mauritius is currently in the midst of nutritional transition with both a high prevalence of overweight and thinness in children aged 9-10 years. The coexistence of children representing opposite sides of the energy balance equation presents a unique challenge for policy and interventions. Further exploration is needed to understand the specific causes of the double burden of malnutrition and to make appropriate policy recommendations.     

Obesity and socioeconomic status in children of Tijuana

BACKGROUND: Although obesity has been associated with socioeconomic status among Hispanics living in the United States, little is known about whether a similar association exists among Hispanics living in Mexico, particularly among those living along the U.S.-Mexico border. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of obesity and its association with socioeconomic status in Mexican schoolchildren attending public and private schools in Tijuana, Baja California. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements and socioeconomic status were assessed in a cross-sectional study of 1172 school children, aged 6 to 13 years from 55 schools in Tijuana in 2001-2002. Underweight (body mass index [BMI] for age 5th percentile or lower), risk of overweight (BMI at 85th percentile or higher), and overweight (BMI greater than 95th percentile) were assessed using charts published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RESULTS: Abnormalities in weight were found in 46.3% of 587 boys and 43.7% of 585 girls in the study. Undernutrition was found in 3.7% of the boys and 3.8% of the girls. The general prevalence of overweight was 23.2% for boys and 21.7% for girls. Children living in low-income neighborhoods had the thickest biceps skinfolds (p<0.01), while children living in moderate-income neighborhoods and attending public schools had the thickest triceps skinfolds (p<0.001). Although boys living in high socioeconomic status neighborhoods were at decreased risk for being overweight, boys and girls attending private schools had a 75% increased risk (odds ratio, 1.75; confidence interval, 1.22-2.52) of being overweight than children attending public schools. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity varies by type of school and neighborhood socioeconomic status. The biphasic curve in risk for being overweight associated with neighborhood socioeconomic status suggests that Mexican children living along the U.S. border may be experiencing a nutrition transition with respect to an increased risk of obesity and related chronic disease.