Prevalence of obesity among adolescents (10 to 14 years) in Kuwait

Abstract

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to find out the prevalence of obesity and overweight among intermediate school adolescents aged 10 to 14 years. The study comprised a multistage stratified random sample that included 5402 children (2657 males and 2745 females). They represent 12.7% of the total number of children between 10 and 14 years during the educational year 2005-2006. The weights and heights of adolescents were measured, from which the body mass index (BMI) was calculated, which is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared (kg/m(2)). BMI values higher than 95 percentile were accepted as being obese and those in between 85 and 94 percentile were accepted as overweight. Dietary intake was assessed by the investigators using food exchange lists designed by American Diabetic Association and physical fitness was measured by modified Harvard step test. Data regarding monthly income of the chosen sample were collected from parents of those children. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescent Kuwaiti children aged 10 to 14 years was 30.7% and 14.6%, respectively. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among males was 29.3% and 14.9%, respectively (P < .001) and the prevalence of overweight and obesity among females was 32.1% and 14.2%, respectively (P < .001). High daily caloric intake by the obese and overweight children and physical inactivity was reported among the majority of them. Health education programs should be conducted to control this syndrome in order to prevent future risk of obesity-related disease, and physical activity programs should be incorporated in the schools. Any management plan for overweight and obese children should include 3 major components: diets, exercise, and family-based behavior and they should not be placed on restrictive diets because adequate calories are needed for proper growth.