Peer-reviewed article
Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among Palestinian school-age children and the associated risk factors: a cross sectional study
Saad Al-Lahham, Nidal Amin Jaradat, Mohammad Altamimi, Ola Anabtawi, Alma Irshid et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This cross-sectional study measured the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in 1,320 Palestinian school-age children in 2017. The researchers found that 7.3% of children were underweight, 14.5% were overweight, and 15.7% were obese, meaning more than one-third of children had abnormal weight status. Risk factors included waist circumference, age, gender and living place. The authors note that obesity rates among Palestinian children have doubled in five years, faster than the global trend, and recommend early interventions to prevent obesity-related diseases.
Key points
- Combined prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity was 37.5% among Palestinian school-age children
- Obesity prevalence increased from 3% to 6% within 5 years in Palestine, compared to global rise from 1% to 7% over 41 years
- Underweight affected 7.3% (95% CI = 5.9-8.8%) of children
- Waist circumference, age, gender and living place were significantly associated with children's body mass index
- Study included 1,320 children with anthropometric measurements and parental questionnaire data
Limitations
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that identifies associations but cannot establish causation. The study does not evaluate an intervention or compare outcomes, so it cannot explain why these risk factors affect weight status or what would effectively reduce underweight, overweight and obesity.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is rising in developed and developing countries, while childhood underweight is rising mainly in developing countries. Childhood underweight has been shown to increase a child's risk of rapid weight gain. Overweight and obese children are more likely to become obese adults, which increases the risk of type-II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Studies concerning obesity among Palestinian children are scarce. The prevalence of obesity among Palestinian children has increased from 3 to 6% within 5 years in comparison to the worldwide rise from 1 to 7%, within 41 years. We aim to determine the current prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among Palestinian school-age children and to assess the role of dietary and sociodemographic factors. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study was conducted in Palestine in 2017. A total of 1320 school-age children and their 2640 corresponding parents were recruited. A written questionnaire was filled out by the parents. Anthropometric indices were measured and categorized according to the Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). RESULTS: The mean ± SD age of the children was 9.5 ± 1.5 years and 48.8% were females. The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among the children was approximately 7.3% (95% CI = 5.9-8.8%), 14.5% (95% CI = 12.7-16.6%) and 15.7% (95% CI = 13.8-17.8%) respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation of waist circumference, age, gender and living place with the body mass indexes of the students. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlighted the accelerated increase in the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity (37.5%) among Palestinian children within a very short time in comparison to the globe. Therefore, Interventions aiming to prevent obesity and underweight at an early stage might be vital to avoid obesity later in life and its health-related co-morbidities, e.g. type-II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.