Objective: The aim of this
study was to determine the obesity and overweight situations and related
factors among the children between the ages of 6-11 studying in Rize, Turkey.
Methods: The study included 180 pediatric patients (86 girls and 94 boys) applying
to our policlinic, who born between 2006 and 2010. The age, height, weight and
gender of children and their parents, physical activity status of children,
frequency of convenience goods consumption, education and income status of
parents and duration of children spent on television were evaluated. Body mass
indexes of participants were measured and compared with their socio-demographic
characteristics.
Results: Obesity was found in 12.2% and overweight was found in
15% of all students participating the study. While a relation was found between
being obese or overweight with gender, body mass index of parents, staying more
than 2 hours a day in front of television, fast-food consumption and low
physicial activity; no relation could be found between the educational status
of parents, time of starting supplementary food during infancy and and the
duration of total breastfeeding.
Conclusions: The increase in
frequency of childhood obesity has been particularly important for identifying
risk factors associated with obesity and competing with these factors in the
early period. Family physicians, the first contact points of the patients, are
the most important part of the health system in preventing childhood obesity. A
higher prevalence of childhood obesity than other studies in the literature may
indicate that obesity will become an increasingly common problem.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Health Care Administration |
Journal Section | Original Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | May 4, 2019 |
Submission Date | February 15, 2018 |
Acceptance Date | June 5, 2018 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019 Volume: 5 Issue: 3 |