Relationship between family socioeconomic and educational level and childhood overweight from a Portuguese municipality based study

Ramos, Carlos; Silva, Ana Lúcia; Carvalho, Maria Ana; Rito, Ana

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/694

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INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of childhood obesity is rising rapidly in Portugal, reaching one of the worst positions in the European Union. Inadequate food habits with high intake of high energy dense foods, seems to be one of the main factor behind this epidemic. Family socioeconomic status also appears to be an obesogenic factor, particularly parents’ educational level and their income. To better understand the association of unbalanced dietary habits and socioeconomic environment on children nutritional status and to develop effective prevention strategies, are the main aims of this study. METHODS: A cross-sectional study (MUNSI) was conducted on five, which included 3173 children (6-9 years old), attending the universe of public elementary schools. Childhood nutritional status was assessed by anthropometric parameters considering the CDC growthcharts criteria percentiles of BMI. Children’s food habits, socioeconomic condition and parent’s level education were collected by a family questionnaire. RESULTS: Prevalence of overweight (BMI≥P85) was 32.1%, and 14.3% for obesity (BMI≥P95). The risk of obesity was higher in medium income families (851-1500€: OR=4.0 (1.1-14.1)), compared with families’ incomes over 3750€/month. We also found that parents’ educational level was correlated with the risk of obesity in children. Lower mother´s educational level showed higher prevalence (20,8%) and risk of childhood obesity: OR=2.8 (1.8-4.5) and again for lower fathers educational level with higher childhood obesity (16.7%) and OR=2.1 (1.2-3.4) CONCLUSION: Data showed that obesity is not independent from parents’ socioeconomic status and parents’ educational level, where this condition seem to be related with the likelihood to develop childhood obesity.