Epidemiology of Overweight and Obesity among Elementary School Students at Nutrition Counseling Units and Centers in Al Diwaniyah City

Abstract

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity were seen primarily as a problem for the children of low-income families and those living in deprived urban areas. However, with increasing rates of childhood obesity in higher-income families and wealthy areas, it now affects all socioeconomic groups to some degree.

Objective(s): The aim of this study is to explore the epidemiology of overweight and obesity among elementary school students at nutrition counseling units and centers in Al Diwaniyah City.

Methodology: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among primary school children from (Al Diwaniyah center, Sumer district, Al Bu jubbah village, Arabism, Sunni side and Algeria) area was carried throughout the present study, which uses the screen approach, which had been conducted in elementary age students at nutrition counseling units in Al Diwaniyah city to find out the relationship between BMI and, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. This study is started from 10 October 2022 to - June 2023).

Results: The findings revealed that the majority of students in the study sample 245 (96.8%) had multiple meals taken with them to school. In relation to the (number of meals and times your child takes junk food during a week (such pizza, burger, shawerma, fried potato) both were similar the more than half of the school students take 3 times, as their percentage reached 141(55.7%).

Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity according to the assessment of body mass index most of the participants in the study sample were obesity 162 (64.0%) while the participants with overweight were 91 (36.0%). The prevalence of overweight and obesity more than half of the study sample of students was male 149 reached their percentage (58.9%) while female student was (41.1%).

Recommendations: Conduct further studies on same age groups in different areas in governorate. Raise awareness of childhood obesity among parents through publications and symposiums organized by school health nurses.