Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Apr 2:7:72.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00072. eCollection 2019.

The Complex Etiology of Childhood Obesity in Arabs Is Highlighted by a Combination of Biological and Socio-Economic Factors

Naser Elkum  1   2 , Monira Alarouj  2 , Abdullah Bennakhi  2 , Azza Shaltout  2
Affiliations

The Complex Etiology of Childhood Obesity in Arabs Is Highlighted by a Combination of Biological and Socio-Economic Factors

Naser Elkum et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: To identify predictors of childhood and adolescent obesity in Kuwaitis with Arab ethnicity. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 6-18 year-old schoolchildren was randomly selected from 244 public schools across all six governorates in the State of Kuwait. Anthropometric data were measured from 6,574 Arab Kuwaiti schoolchildren, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information on possible risk factors associated with obesity. Overweight and obesity were defined in accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children (aged 6-18 years) were 17.7% and 33.7%, respectively. The likelihood of childhood obesity increased with birth weights >4.0 Kg [odds ratio (OR) = 2.3; p < 0.0001], maternal employment (OR = 1.26, p = 0.0006), maternal age at pregnancy >30 years (OR = 1.24; p = 0.0016) and family size of <6 members (OR = 1.16, p = 0.0106). Conclusions: Public health professionals should be aware that advanced maternal age, maternal employment, smaller family size, and high birthweight may predict the risk of obesity in Kuwaiti Arab children and adolescents.

Keywords: Arabs; children; obesity; prevalence; risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The prevalence of childhood underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity among Kuwaiti Arab children and adolescent boys and girls aged 6–18 years.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The prevalence of underweight, normal weight and combined overweight and obese (o/obese) by age group and gender among Kuwaiti students.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Sinaiko AR, Jacobs DR, Jr, Steinberger J, Moran A, Luepker R, Rocchini AP, et al. Prineas, insulin resistance syndrome in childhood: associations of the euglycemic insulin clamp and fasting insulin with fatness and other risk factors. J Pediatr. (2001) 139:700–7. 10.1067/mpd.2001.118535 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Valente AM, Strong W, Sinaiko AR. Obesity and insulin resistance in young people. Am Heart J. (2001) 142:440–4. 10.1067/mhj.2001.117828 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Freedman DS, Khan LK, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Relationship of childhood obesity to coronary heart disease risk factors in adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics. (2001) 108:712–8. 10.1542/peds.108.3.712 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Elkum N, Al-Arouj M, Sharifi M, Shaltout A, Bennakhi A. Prevalence of childhood obesity in the state of Kuwait. Pediatr Obes. (2015) 11:e30–4. 10.1111/ijpo.12090 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Butte NF, Cai G, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG. Viva la familia study: genetic and environmental contributions to childhood obesity and its comorbidities in the Hispanic population. Am J Clin Nutr. (2006) 84:646–54; quiz 673–4. 10.1093/ajcn/84.3.646 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources