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Trends of overweight and obese children from north-western Spain over a twenty-year period

Abstract:

Aims: The determination of the trend in the prevalence of overweight and obese children over a 20-year period in Spain and abo the comparison of the prevalence of overweight and obese children in two different areas in our country. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study in three stages, 1985, 1995 and 2005. School-children of 6-16 years, with 1131, 903 and 1645 for the first, second and third surveys, respectively, were studied. The samples of children were randomly obtained from the total population of school children. Results: Increase prevalence of overweight and children was observed, with 14.9%, 21.2% and 28.8%, for the first, second and third surveys, respectively (p<0.05). Similarly, an increased prevalence of obese children was observed, with 2.2%, 6.2% and 11.0% for the first, second and third surveys, respectively (p<0.05). Different trends of increased prevalence were observed between coastal and inland areas. Conclusion: significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese children was observed over the study period. This figure is similar to the trends of overweight and obese children in other European countries and in the USA with different dietary customs, suggesting that decrease in physical activity may be the determinant factor for the phenomenon of increase of adiposity in children around the world. Different patterns in the trends of increased prevalence also were observed in two areas of our country that could be explained by differences in physical activity. ©2010, Editrice Kurtis.