The Risk Factors of Obesity in Children during COVID-19 Pandemic Era in Gorontalo City

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a condition that is often associated with an increased risk of infection for coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, which can be fatal or even cause death. AIM: The study aimed to analyze the risk factors of obesity incidents in children during COVID-19 pandemic era in Gorontalo City. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The risk factors for obesity include physical activity, history of obesity, fast food consumption, sleep duration at night, and breakfast. It applied analytical observational research with a case-control study design, matching the gender and age. The case was students when measured with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or above 25 kg/m2, while the control was student when measured with a BMI of 18.5-22.9 kg/m2. At the same time, the numbers of samples were 150 children in which the sampling was carried out non-random by applying purposive sampling technique. RESULT(S): Finding denoted that all the variables examined significantly correlated with obesity incidents during COVID-19 pandemic, with odds ratio (OR) value was <1. Specifically, the physical activity variable had the highest OR value compared to other variables, namely, OR 2.939, and this meant that adolescents who do not exercise or exercise <3 times a week during the COVID-19 period were at 2.939 times risk compared to adolescents who exercise 3 times a week. CONCLUSION(S): The finding of this study concluded that in the COVID-19 pandemic era, physical activity or exercise is the most influential risk factor for the incidence of obesity compared to other variables.Copyright © 2022, Scientific Foundation SPIROSKI. All rights reserved.

Nutritional Approaches in Children with Overweight or Obesity and Hepatic Steatosis.

Childhood obesity is a global public health problem. Worldwide, 41 million children under 5 years and 340 million children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years are overweight. In addition, the recent COVID-19 epidemic has further amplified this social phenomenon. Obesity is a condition associated with various comorbidities, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The pathophysiology of NAFLD in obesity is intricate and involves the interaction and dysregulation of several mechanisms, such as insulin resistance, cytokine signaling, and alteration of the gut microbiota. NAFLD is defined as the presence of hepatic steatosis in more than 5% of hepatocytes, evaluated by histological analysis. It can evolve from hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and end-stage liver failure. Body weight reduction through lifestyle modification remains the first-line intervention for the management of pediatric NAFLD. Indeed, studies suggest that diets low in fat and sugar and conversely rich in dietary fibers promote the improvement of metabolic parameters. This review aims to evaluate the existing relationship between obesity and NAFLD in the pediatric population and to assess the dietary patterns and nutritional supplementations that can be recommended to prevent and manage obesity and its comorbidities.

A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study of Parental Outdoor Play Preferences and Association With Child Overweight and Obesity.

Childhood obesity is highly prevalent among certain populations of New York. This cross-sectional pilot study examined the associations between parental attitudes about outdoor activities and body mass index (BMI). A questionnaire was distributed among parents of 1 to 13 aged children at ambulatory pediatric clinics. Of 104 children included in the study 57 were of normal weight and 47 were overweight or obese. Most parents of children with BMI <85% reported frequent playground utilization, considered longer hours to spend outside on weekdays, reported a larger total temperature range for outdoor playground utilization and a lower tolerable minimum temperature compared to parents of children with BMI ≥85%, p < .05. Only having a parent born outside of the United States remained a significant predictor of overweight and obesity in the final model. Parents of children with BMI < 85% are more willing to spend time outdoors, regardless of weather. Immigrant parents are protective against overweight.

Implementing health-promoting activities in diverse primary school contexts in the Netherlands: practical lessons learnt

PurposeTo gain insight into factors enhancing or obstructing implementation in various school-settings, which is vital for widespread dissemination and sustainable integration of school-based health-promoting interventions.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods multisite comparative case study to investigate (factors influencing) the implementation of health-promoting activities in twelve Dutch primary schools. Data were collected during three school years (2019-2022) through observations, questionnaires and interviews.FindingsThe project resulted in the implementation of small, incidental activities. Important reasons for the limited implementation were lack of commitment and bottom-up involvement. School directors and teachers were not involved early on in the project, which limited project support and commitment. On school level, directors largely carried project responsibility themselves, hindering project sustainability and integration. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) made that schools had difficulties forming long-term visions and plans. Other observed barriers included limited perceived necessity to change, high workload and high staff turnover. Important facilitators were the presence of a process coordinator and sharing experiences from other schools.Originality/valueThis research provided valuable insights into (factors influencing) the implementation of health-promoting initiatives in diverse, real-world school contexts. More extensive support is needed to create commitment, bottom-up involvement and a project vision. Furthermore, empowering in-school champions and/or school-wide project groups is desirable to decrease schools' dependence on long-term external support. The findings can be used by various stakeholders throughout development, adoption and implementation and can facilitate widespread dissemination and sustainable integration of school-based health-promoting interventions.

Changes in Sugar, Salt, and Fat Consumption Patterns through Online Nutrition Education

Online media are potentially useful teaching resources, especially for students studying from home during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Previous research found that this method can improve understanding of the material other than the face-to-face method. This study evaluated whether online nutrition education could influence the sugar, salt, and fat diet of elementary school students. Semarang City served as the site of this experimental study. Participants in this study were given a weekly online nutrition education intervention for eight weeks. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 100 students were randomly selected and divided into two groups, so that 45 students remained until the end of the study in the control group, while the intervention group had 39 students. Data on general characteristics, self-reported anthropometry, sugar, salt, and fat eating patterns, and variables influencing social media use, were gathered. The data were analyzed through descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. In this study, students used YouTube more often (83.7%) than other social media platforms. The intervention caused a shift in the students' dietary patterns. The scores of fried food consumption in both groups and sugary food consumption in the control group varied before and after the interventions. There was no difference in the delta scores between the intervention and control groups;however, it was 4.1 times harder for female students than for male students to change their eating habits. Even though there was no significant difference between the two groups, online nutrition education could alter high-sugar and high-fat diets.

Primordial prevention: Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in racial/ethnic populations

Beyond pharmacotherapy in adulthood, primordial prevention in United States (U.S.) children and adolescents is needed to avoid the upcoming tsunami of cardiometabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Healthcare disparities were unmasked by the disparate morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in racial/ethnic populations, especially in persons with obesity, diabetes, and CVD. One potential successful strategic improvement of childhood cardiovascular health is to reduce sugar consumption in early life as CVD is the number one cause of death in patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Furthermore, cardiologists treat more patients with T2D than endocrinologists. This commentary challenges cardiovascular specialists and other clinicians to address the increasing burden of cardiometabolic and CVD in adults, especially in racial/ethnic populations, by supporting primordial prevention in childhood. © 2023 The Authors

Risk factors associated with overweight and obesity in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in people's lifestyles, mainly in healthy eating habits and behaviors. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the association of eating habits, family eating behaviors, lifestyles, and perception of nutritional status with the risk of overnutrition in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 661 Chilean children and adolescents. The study tool was an online self-report questionnaire taken during the COVID-19 lockdown. We observed overnutrition in 37.5%. Habits such as sleeping the recommended number of hours by age group and having healthy family behaviors decreased the risk of overnutrition by 49.0% (OR= 0.510, p= <0.001) and 10.8% (OR= 0.892, p= 0.01), respectively. Parents' perception of weight gain during the pande-mic, the distortion of nutritional status and the health risk of their children's nutritional status increased 4.8 (OR= 4.846, p= <0.001), 8.5 (OR= 8.580, p= <0.001) and 3.8 (OR= 3.826, p= <0.001) times, respectively, the risk of overnutrition in children and adolescents. In conclusion, the COVID-19 lockdown and school closures may have affected lifestyles. In addition, the role of parents in the perception of nutritional status and family eating behaviors is fundamental since they could be a predictor of the risk of overnutrition. These findings propose further research to design plans and programs to avoid the consequences related to overweight and obesity.Copyright © 2023, Sociedad Chilena de Nutricion Bromatologia y Toxilogica. All rights reserved.

Impact of the COVID-19 kindergarten closure on overweight and obesity among 3- to 7-year-old children.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the impact of the temporary kindergarten closure policy under COVID-19 in 2020 on childhood overweight and obesity is inadequate. We aimed to examine differences in rates of overweight and obesity from 2018 to 2021 among kindergarten children aged 3-7 years. METHODS: Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) > 1 standard deviation (SD) for age and sex, and obesity was defined as BMI > 2 SD for age and sex. Generalized linear mixed modeling was used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 44,884 children and 71,216 growth data points from all 57 public kindergartens in Jiading District, Shanghai, China were analyzed. The rates of obesity from 2018 to 2021 were 6.9%, 6.6%, 9.5%, and 7.3% in boys and 2.8%, 2.8%, 4.5%, and 3.1% in girls, respectively. The rates of overweight from 2018 to 2021 were 14.3%, 14.3%, 18.2%, and 15.3% in boys and 10.6%, 10.9%, 13.9%, and 11.6% in girls. The rates of obesity and overweight among kindergarten children in 2020 were significantly higher than those in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Compared to 2020, the odds ratios of the obesity rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.77, P < 0.001], 0.72 (95% CI = 0.64-0.80, P < 0.001) and 0.81 (95% CI = 0.72-0.92, P = 0.001), respectively. The odds ratios of the overweight rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.75 (95% CI = 0.69-0.82, P < 0.001), 0.78 (95% CI = 0.72-0.84, P < 0.001), and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.81-0.97, P = 0.008), respectively, compared to 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of overweight and obesity significantly increased among kindergarten children in 2020 after the 5-month kindergarten closure. It was critical to provide guidance to caregivers on fostering a healthy lifestyle for children at home under public health emergencies.

Childhood obesity and food addiction

Childhood obesity has been a major health concern for decades now, especially in western countries like the United States, and its alarming rate of growth allows it to be considered a pandemic. The factors that contribute to the development of childhood obesity can be categorized on both a macro- and microscopic level, spanning from national attitudes toward food, all the way to individual trauma. This work attempts to condense some of the latest research on factors contributing to childhood obesity in order to construct a more holistic picture of its causes. Some of the topics discussed in this article demographic and cultural consideration as well as family life and genetic predisposition toward obesity. Finally, the article looks at the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic have affected childhood obesity in the United States ad projections that can be made from the increasing rate of weight gain among children. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Unforeseen Effects of COVID-19 on Adolescent Health.

India is presently in the midst of a major health crisis with the second wave of corona virus spreading at an alarming rate and claiming more lives than ever before. Although the pandemic is affecting the lives of all sections of society, adolescent girls being a vulnerable group are affected in dual manner, not just by the direct effects of the virus but also by many still underrated indirect effects. The present article aims to highlight the indirect yet sinister effects of COVID-19 on physical, mental, social, sexual and reproductive and psychological health and well-being of adolescent girls and other issues like their personal safety, peer support and long-term health issues. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13224-021-01555-1.

Obesity increased the risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in children.

AIM: To determine the effects of obesity in childhood on SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional study combining the Israeli Growth Survey and COVID-19 data for children with at least one SARS-CoV-2 test from 16 February 2020 to 20 December 2021. Overweight and obesity status were based on body mass index and the Center for Disease Control criteria. Multivariate logistics regression was performed to validate reliability for weight categories at the age of approximately 6 years compared with weights at approximately 12 years. RESULTS: A total of 444 868 records for children with an overall positivity rate of 22% were studied. The mean age was 9.5 years. The odds ratios of children with obesity or overweight after controlling for sex at 6 years to test positive were 1.07-1.12 and 1.06-1.08 (depending on the model), respectively, compared to those with healthy range body mass index. CONCLUSION: Excess weight appears to increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This finding should be considered for public health planning. For example, children with overweight and obesity should be prioritised for vaccination. Excess weight in childhood can be harmful at a young age and not only for long-term health.

Children's body mass index before and after COVID-19 related childcare center closures

Prolonged childcare center closures due to COVID-19 restrictions have changed children's health-related behaviors that may result in an increased risk in childhood obesity. Grounded in the social ecological model, the purpose of this study was to examine the differences in body mass index (BMI), physical activity, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and screen time among preschool aged children enrolled in the Merced County Office of Education Head Start program before and after COVID-19 related Head Start center closures. A quantitative, longitudinal study design using secondary data from ChildPlus was used. The paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to measure the differences in BMI and health-related behaviors before and after COVID-19 related Head Start center closures. A p-value of < 0.05 was used to show statistical significance. Results of the study showed significant differences in BMI (t(264) = 4.533, p = .000), consumption of SSBs (Z = 2.046, p = .041), and amount of screen time (Z = 2.833, p = .005) of participants before and after COVID-19 related Head Start center closures. However, there was no significant difference in the amount of physical activity (Z = 1.042, p = .297). The results of this study will add to positive social change and enhance understanding of the potential impact of COVID-19 related childcare center closures on childhood obesity and health-related behaviors that will guide public health, early education, and other professionals in the development and implementation of effective physical activity and dietary interventions during future pandemics and prolonged childcare center closures that will mitigate adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of young children from vulnerable communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The effect of weekly virtual health sessions based on the health belief model on the BMI of overweight African American children

Childhood obesity is a global health challenge that has seen a notable increase over time. Childhood obesity is when a child has excess weight compared to the child's age and height. Childhood obesity has resulted in significant physical and economic challenges, including. physical and mental diseases in children. The coronavirus pandemic led to the virtual implementation of this study. This study aims at addressing obesity among children between 5 and 18 years old using virtual weekly classes targeting healthy nutrition and walking, with the Health Belief Model as a theoretical framework. In this quantitative study involving 30 participants from a convenience sample, the examiner analyzes the relationship between walking and a healthy diet on the children's BMI. The paired sample t-test compares the participants' BMI and behavior before and after the intervention. Correlation analysis determines the participants' weight loss by demographic characteristics. The findings from the study showed there was a reduction in BMI after the intervention. Thus, this study contributes to social change by providing evidence for preventing and managing childhood obesity by incorporating a healthy diet and walking into children's daily routines. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

FINUT 2022 Conference Abstracts

The proceedings contain 343 papers. The topics discussed include: alterations in the gut microbiota associated with obesity and metabolic disease: cause or consequence?;childhood obesity in the community context;big data and machine learning as tools for the biomedical field;thermogenesis and adipose tissue: effect of genistein;pediatric obesity and comorbidities: a question of time and genetics? the Portuguese experience;nutrigenomics of inflammation;environmental factors associated with school children's excess of weight in communities of Costa Rica;dietary consumption: guided by a focus of nutrient adequacy or selection of foodstuffs?;functional foods as key regulators of gut microbiota in the SARS-CoV-2 infection;immunomodulatory properties of human milk;vitamin d in childhood and adolescent obesity;and new sources of vitamin D and E supplementation during pregnancy.

Effectiveness and co-benefits of a telephone-based intervention in reducing obesity risk of children aged 2-4 years: findings from a pragmatic randomised controlled trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia

Background: Evidence of effective early childhood obesity prevention is scarce and mainly derived from face-to-face interventions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced face-to-face health programmes globally. This study assessed effectiveness of a telephone-based intervention in reducing obesity risk of young children. Method(s): We adapted a study protocol (developed before the pandemic) and conducted a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of 662 women with children aged 2 years (mean age 24.06 months [SD 0.69]) during March, 2019, and October, 2021, extending the original planned intervention of 12 months to 24 months. The adapted intervention comprised five telephone-based support sessions plus text messages over a 24-month period (at child ages 24-26 months, 28-30 months, 32-34 months, 36-38 months, and 42-44 months). The intervention group (n=331) received staged telephone plus SMS support regarding healthy eating, physical activity, and information about COVID-19. The control group (n=331) received four staged mail-outs on information not related to the obesity prevention intervention, such as toilet training, language development, and sibling relationships, as a retention strategy. The intervention effects on BMI (primary outcome) and eating habits (secondary outcome), and perceived co-benefits, were evaluated using surveys and qualitative telephone interviews at 12 months and 24 months after baseline (age 2 years). The trial is registered with the Australian Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12618001571268. Finding(s): Of 662 mothers, 537 (81%) completed the follow-up assessments at 3 years, and 491 (74%) completed the follow-up assessment at 4 years. Multiple imputation analysis showed no significant difference in mean BMI between the groups. Among low-income families (ie, annual household income <AU$80 000) at age 3 years, the intervention was significantly associated with a lower mean BMI (16.26 kg/m2 [SD 2.22]) in the intervention group than in the control group (16.84 kg/m2 [2.37];p=0.040), a difference of -0.59 (95% CI -1.15 to -0.03;p=0.040). Children in the intervention group were more likely not to eat in front of the television than the control group, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.00 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.99) at 3 years and an aOR of 2.50 (1.63 to 3.83) at 4 years. Qualitative interviews with 28 mothers revealed that the intervention increased their awareness, confidence, and motivation to implement healthy feeding practices, particularly for families from culturally diverse backgrounds (ie, speaking a language other than English at home). Interpretation(s): A telephone-based intervention was well received by the mothers who participated in the study. The intervention could reduce children's BMI from low-income families. Telephone-based support targeted at low-income families and families from culturally diverse backgrounds could reduce current inequalities in childhood obesity. Funding(s): The trial was funded under the NSW Health Translational Research Grant Scheme 2016 (number TRGS 200) and also by a National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership grant (number 1169823).Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license

Telehealth as a therapeutic approach in the management of childhood obesity.

Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence are not only associated with severe medical and psychological complications and sequelae, but also represent one of the greatest challenges for the healthcare system from an economic point of view. The restrictions imposed by the global COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic have further aggravated the already high prevalence of juvenile obesity. Since pharmacological treatment options are generally not approved in childhood/adolescence and therefore they are not an option, lifestyle modification has a separate role from a therapeutic perspective. Multimodal training concepts from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, nutrition, sports, medicine) currently show the best prospects of success. The targeted transfer of these training programs into telemedical concepts could sustainably improve their effectiveness and reduce resource requirements on both the therapeutic and patient side.Copyright © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.

The epidemiology and social determinants of obesity

The global obesity epidemic has been officially recognized by the World Health Organization since as early as 1997. The strong association between obesity and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, hospitalization, admittance to intensive care units, and death may represent an important turning point for obesity prevention efforts. This chapter sets out to describe how to define excess body fat;summarize trends and current status of adult and childhood obesity, focusing on the United States;summarize trends and current status of global obesity, focusing on low-and middle-income countries;and explore how social determinants shape the prevalence of obesity. In addressing the social determinants of obesity, it is recognized that individual choices are influenced by social, economic, political, environmental, and cultural factors. Specific dimensions covered in this chapter include gender, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, urbanization, and culture. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

National data showed an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among four-year-old Swedish children during the first year of COVID-19.

AIM: This paper summarised national data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 4-year-old children in Sweden in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It compares this with data from 2018. Differences between regions and sex were identified. METHODS: Comparative data from Swedish Child Health Services were available for 18/21 regions. Chi-square tests were used to compare data from 2018 and 2020 and to examine differences between the sexes. Sex and year were examined through interaction tests. RESULTS: In 2020, 13.3% of the 100 001 children had overweight or obesity: 15.1% of the girls and 11.6% of the boys (p < 0.001). In 2018, 11.4% of the 105 445 children had overweight or obesity: 13.2% of the girls and 9.4% of the boys. This was an overall increase of 16.6% (p = 0.000) in the national Swedish data from 2018 to 2020. The increase between the years was greater for obesity (31.8%, p = 0.000) than for overweight (13.3%, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among 4-year-olds in Sweden increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and needs to be addressed. The prevalence needs to be followed as part of prevention programmes and to evaluate health interventions.