[Risk factors of children overweight and obesity]

The increase of the prevalence of children obesity in some countries as Tunisia, necessitate to welling known risk factors for obesity, to prevent and early management. To determine the prevalence of overweight and of obesity in a group of 4-6 year-old school children in Monastir and to investigate the association with possible risk factors. A descriptive transversal study including 121 children aged 4-6 years old [637 males, 698 females], was conducted in 10 Kindergartens in Monastir, in 2011. Personal data such as age, sex, birth weight, breastfeeding history and parental data including parental weights and heights, parental education level and occupation were collected by questionnaires completed by parents. Height and weight were measured with a weighing-scale and body mass index [BMI; kg/m2] was calculated. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was defined based according to the curves of the french reference of Rolland Cachera. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 9.1% and 11.6% respectively. Parental factors associated with overweight were: parental obesity: 44% vs 17% [p=0.005] [OR = 3.65: 1.27-10.57], artificial feeding: 68% vs 33% [p=0.0016] [OR= 4.25: 1.51-12.27], and the early diversification of food before the age of 6 months: 88% vs 65% [p=0.029] [OR= 3.84: 0.98 - 17.66]. Exclusive breast feeding duration >/= 6 months is probably protector factor against obesity: 0% vs 21% [p=0. 01] [OR=0: 0.00 < OR < 0.78]. We found no significant difference between overweight and non-overweight schoolchildren in frequency of high degree educated mother and father, birth weight, breakfast intake, eating habits and exercise. However overweight children intake high-caloric food, low in fiber, with troubles of nutritional comportment, and a sedentary lifestyle. Risk factors for obesity, well known in most industrialized countries, necessitate to be more understood in Tunisia, to place a preventive strategy included supervision of children weight, nutritional education and promote physical activity and reducing the time spent watching television

[Hadling the cases of school failure in an educational institute in Zaghouan]

To assess the main reasons for the school failure in a school in Zaghouan, how to handle these issues, to evaluate the work of the school social office. A retrospective study included 86 failure cases in a school in Zaghouan, handled by the school social office for three years [2004 - 2007]. He has detected the principals' causes of school failure, detected by the educational staff or by the listening office. The causes of failure are mainly social [46%] as family problems and low income. These families received financial aids and free treatment cards. Discussions have been made with the parents in order to make them more conscious. The pedagogical reasons [28%] however are usually relationship' problems between the student and his teacher or the student and the administration, the three subjects were informed so that attitudes could be changed in the purpose of helping the student. Twelve students [14%] have a psychological case, depression and over worrying, led in some cases to addiction. These cases were diagnosed and transferred to specialized clinics. Sense and chronic diseases [12%], are considered as health reasons for school failure and caused several absences in the school. The school physicist took care of these cases by handing them medical guidance cards while observing the diagnose progress. As school results, 56 cases turned satisfaisant which is 65% of all cases. The school failure became a priority of the "School Health" institute. That puss to create the school social program, his aim is protecting the students from all dangers, early school leaving and social disintegration, and delinquency. Thus, all parts must be responsible for the school failure, teachers, parents, students, psychiatrists and physicists, as well as introducing the social school work and listening offices and missions to the parents, students and teachers in order to guarantee the success of the operations