ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: 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. AIMS: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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 ≥ 6mois 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.
Subject(s)
Obesity/etiology , Overweight/etiology , Age of Onset , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Growth Charts , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Obesity/epidemiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Tunisia/epidemiologySubject(s)
Smoking/epidemiology , Students, Dental , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , Tunisia/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The aim was to develop and validate an addictive behaviors screening tool in school children. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study including a self administrated 223 item questionnaire developed in Arabic language. The questionnaire included identification of the student and seven life domains: school, family, addiction, relationships with peers, leisure and well being, risky behaviors and personality traits. N=854 high school children. of Monastir City. RESULTS: the questionnaire Alpha Cronbach's Coefficient ranged between 0.3 and 0.8. Only items with a coefficient higher than 0.6 were maintained in the final version. The time reliability by using the Bland and Altman method 15 days after the first measure showed a Pearson's coefficient of 0.81. Validity evaluated by principal components analysis led to 3 independent factors consisting respectively in 20, 4 and 3 well correlated items: family, school and risky behaviors. CONCLUSION: validated version of the questionnaire consisted in 102 items, easy to read and understand. This version doesn't require much time to be filled in and takes into consideration cultural particularities of the school children of Monastir. It could be considered as an interesting tool for both the assessment and the prevention of addictive behaviors in school.
