Overweight and obesity in children of different socioeconomic levels

Resumen

Excess weight is associated with various factors, including socioeconomic level. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between overweight and obesity and socioeconomic level in children aged 6.0-7.9 years from Maringá, Paraná. Body mass index (BMI) was used for the assessment of nutritional status. Family socioeconomic status was classified based on the proposal of the Brazilian Association of Research Companies (ABEP), and the originally proposed classes were regrouped into high (A1, A2, and B1), medium (B2, C1, and C2) and low (D and E) socioeconomic level. The data were analyzed statistically with the SPSS 13.0 program using nonparametric tests and odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 1,634 children from 24 public and private schools (mean age: 7.1 ± 0.5 years, 50.8% girls) were studied. No significant difference in BMI was observed between boys and girls with overweight and obesity. The prevalence of excess weight (overweight + obesity) was 22.3% and 21.9% among boys and girls, respectively. There was no significant association between excess weight and gender. However, children of high socioeconomic level had a 28% higher chance of excess weight than those of low level. In conclusion, in this study both boys and girls were equally affected by excess weight, with a higher prevalence among boys. Children from families of lower socioeconomic levels presented a lower chance of excess weight.