ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To construct waist percentiles for 6-11-year-old Turkish children in Elazig Province, Eastern Anatolia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed with 3342 (1708 boys and 1634 girls) children from March to June 2007. Waist circumferences (WC) were measured between the lowest rib and the superior iliac crest, and centile curves were constructed with the Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) method. RESULTS: Towards 6-11 years, WC 50th percentile ranged from 57.54 to 67.04 cm in boys and 55.77 to 64.58 cm in girls. For both genders, WC increased with age. At each age, boys had higher WC values than girls. For the entire sample, mean WC was 62.5 +/- 6.8 cm for boys and 59.8 +/- 6.2 cm for girls. Median WC was 62.0 cm (32.0-90.0) for boys and 59.0 cm (46.0-87.0) for girls. CONCLUSIONS: The large differences in the values obtained worldwide emphasize the necessity of providing population-specific WC reference curves from different populations, which in turn may result in an international reference standard similar to that provided for body mass index.
Subject(s)
Body Weights and Measures/statistics & numerical data , Waist Circumference/physiology , Age Factors , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Geography , Humans , Male , Population , Research Report , Sex Factors , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to produce the growth references for Elazig children aged 6-11 years. Data were collected in eight primary schools of Elazig in 2007. Age- and gender-specific height, weight and body mass index (BMI) references were produced with LMS (Lambda-Mu-Sigma) method and compared with reported values in an Anatolian and a metropolitan city. A total of 3342 (1634 females, 1708 males) children aged 6-11 years from among 4258 students were included in the study. Age- and gender-specific height, weight and BMI references were produced. The 3rd-97th percentiles were detected to be higher than the range of percentiles between 6-11-year-old children. We consider that this first local reference for Elazig will provide a useful tool for health planning and monitoring of growth and development.
Subject(s)
Body Height , Body Mass Index , Body Weight , Child , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Female , Humans , Male , Reference Values , TurkeyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity is increasing dramatically all over the world. Very little data are currently available on the prevalence of childhood obesity in Turkey, and more research on the risk factors is required before preventive public health programmes can be put into practice. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and related factors in primary school students in Elazig, a city in eastern Turkey. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In March-June 2007 a cross-sectional study of children aged 6-11 years old was performed. A total of 1782 girls and 1860 boys were observed. Weight and height were measured. Overweight and obesity using age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) cut-off points as defined by the International Obesity Taskforce were used. RESULTS: Prevalence of overweight and obesity were 13.2% and 1.6%, respectively. According to gender, the prevalence of obesity in boys was 2.0% and overweight was 13.9%, while in girls, obesity was 1.2% and overweight was 12.5%. We found that overweight and obesity may be related to factors such as eating while watching television, and eating fast food. CONCLUSION: It was noted as a health problem that there are overweight students aged between 6 and 11 years attending primary schools in Elazig province.
Subject(s)
Obesity/epidemiology , Obesity/etiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Overweight/etiology , Body Height , Body Mass Index , Body Weight , Child , Exercise , Female , Humans , Male , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Time Factors , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Obesity and overweight are a significant public health problem that affects the quality of life of the individuals concerned. We studied the prevalence and related risk factors for obesity among academics. This descriptive cross-sectional study sampled 499 academic staff at Elazig Firat University, Turkey. Height, weight and blood pressure values were obtained and a descriptive survey was conducted. The age range of the participants was 22 to 65 years, with a mean age 36.5 +/- 8.1 years. The group had 29% women, and 71% men; 80% were married. The mean BMI of the participants was 24.6 +/- 3.1 kg/m2. Their mean systolic blood pressure was 117.0 +/- 12.1 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure was 73.1 +/- 8.0 mmHg. The overall prevalence of obesity was 7.0%; 2.1% in women and 9.0% in men. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 45.9%. Nearly half the participants were either obese or overweight. A correlation was identified between overweight/obesity and sex, marital status, academic staff, physical activity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Although the study did not include all academics, the results reveal the need to evaluate the health impact of obesity in academics.
