The Prevalence of Malnutrition and Obesity in Schoolchildren in the Southeast Anatolia Region of Turkey

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of malnutrition, obesity andoverweight, calculated by body mass index (BMI), in elementary school children in theSoutheast Anatolia Region of Turkey. Method: This research is a cross-sectional epidemiological study and elementary schoolchildren with aged 7-16 years were included randomly by layered random sampling method. Atotal of selected 20 schools and 1912 students filled the questionnaires in Diyarbakır and MardinCity Centers. A questionnaire included questions related to the educational and professionalstatus of parents, siblings, household conditions, children’s demographic characteristics andbody mass indexes, body weight and heights was applied to each student. Determined BMIswere classified according to the percentile values of Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC-US) growth charts and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF).Results: Mean age of 1040 boys (52,3%) and 872 girls (47,7%), totally 1912 students was10,8±2,4 years and mean BMI was 17,6±2,8 kg/m2. According to CDC classification, 7,2% ofmale students were categorized as “underweight”, 12,3% of them as “overweight”, and 3,4%of them as “obese” whereas 5,5% of them were categorized as “overweight” and 0,6% of themas “obese” according to IOTF classification. In female students, 8,4% were categorized as“underweight”, 11,1% “overweight”, and 3,3% as “obese” according to CDC classificationwhereas 5,2% were categorized as “overweight” and 1,2% “obese” according to IOTF. Theprevalences were not between boys and girls (p>0.05). Conclusion: In school children in the Southeast Anatolia Region, one of the most importanthealth problems was malnutrition; however prevalances of overweight and obesity had alsononignorable levels

Keywords

• elementary schools,student,malnutrition,obesity,education

Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde Okul Çocuklarında Malnutrisyon ve Obezite Prevalansı

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde, ilköğretim okullarındaki çocuklarda,vücut kitle indeksi (VKI) ile hesaplanan malnutrisyon, kilolu olma ve obezite sıklığınınbelirlenmesi sosyodemografik özelliklerin belirlenmesi amaçlandı. Yöntem: Araştırma, kesitsel tipte epidemiyolojik bir çalışma olup, “Tabakalı rasgele örneklemeyöntemi” kullanılarak belirlenen 7-16 yaş grubundaki ilköğretim okul çocuklarınıkapsamaktadır. Diyarbakır ve Mardin iI merkezlerinde, toplam 20 okul ve 1912 öğrenci anketformlarını doldurdu. Vücut ağırlığı ve boy ölçümlerinden elde edilen vücut kitle indeksi (VKI),çocukların demografik özellikleri, kardeş sayısı, konut-yaşam koşulları, anne ve baba çalışmave eğitim durumlarına ilişkin ile ilgili soruların yer aldığı bir anket uygulandı. VKI, InternationalObesity Task Force (IOTF) ve Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-US) gelişimkartlarının persentil değerlerine göre sınıflandırıldı.Bulgular: 1040 erkek (%52,3) ve 872 kız (%47,7), toplam 1912 öğrencinin yaş ortalaması10,8±2,4 yıl ve VKI ortalaması 17,6±2,8 kg/m2’dir. CDC sınıflamasına göre, erkek öğrencilerin%7,2’si “düşük kilolu” %12,3’ü “aşırı kilolu ve %3,4’ü “obez” iken; IOTF sınıflamasına gorebunların %5,5’u “aşırı kilolu”, %0,6’sı ise “obez” olarak sınıflandırılmıştı. Kız öğrencilerin,CDC sınıflamasına göre %8,4’ü “düşük kilolu” %11,1’i “aşırı kilolu ve %3,3’ü “obez” iken;IOTF sınıflamasına gore bunların %5,2’si “aşırı kilolu”, %1,2’si ise “obez” olaraksınıflandırılmıştı. Kız ve erkek öğrenciler arasında prevalanslar açısından fark bulunmuyordu(p>0.05). Sonuç: Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde, ilköğretim okullarındaki çocuklarda en önemli sağlıkproblemlerinden birisi malnutrisyondur; ancak aşırı kilo ve obezite prevalansı da ihmaledilmeyecek düzeylerdedir

Keywords

• ilköğretim okulları,öğrenci,malnutrisyon,obezite,eğitim

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