Factors associated with overweight and abdominal obesity in Brazilian school-aged children: a comprehensive approach

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between demographic, socio-economic, perinatal, parental and lifestyle-related factors with general and abdominal obesity among prepubertal children aged 6 to 8 years in a Southeastern city of Brazil. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 486 children were randomly selected from public schools in the city of Patos de Minas, and examined to determine body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Demographic, socio-economic, perinatal, parental and lifestyle-related data were obtained and assessed as independent risk factors for overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Obesity/overweight (BMI percentile ≥ 85), seen in 19% of the children, was positively associated with low maternal education, being born small for gestational age, maternal BMI and screen time, whereas abdominal obesity (WC percentile > 90), seen in 9.9% of the children, was positively associated with maternal age and maternal BMI. When BMI and WC percentile were analyzed as continuous variables, birth by cesarean section, parental BMI, and lower sleep time were positively associated with BMI percentile, and birth by cesarean section, being born small for gestational age, and parental BMI were positively associated with WC percentile. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the frequency of overweight and obesity in a city in the Southeastern region of Brazil is similar to the global frequency reported by the World Health Organization. We also found that many modifiable risk factors were associated with general and abdominal obesity, and these may possibly substantiate future strategies to prevent childhood obesity and its consequences in adult life.