[The influence of sleep and emotional states on childhood body mass index]. / La influencia del sueño y los estados emocionales sobre el índice de masa corporal infantil.

INTRODUCTION: By using path analysis, the aim of this study iso show how anxiety, low self-esteem and a decrease in hours of sleep interact to lead to an increase in overweight in children. METHOD: A random sample of 291 schoolchildren was included. A cross-sectional design was used, measuring their body mass index (BMI) and applying the State-Trait Anxiety inventory for Children and the Children' Depression Inventory. RESULTS: The mean sleep time was 9 hours and 50 minutes. There was an inverse relationship between hours of sleep and BMI. Similarly, anxiety and low self-esteem were predictors of the number of hours of sleep. CONCLUSIONS: These data allow it to be concluded that, on one hand, the population studied sleeps less than the 10 or 11 hours recommended for their age. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated how certain emotional states can encourage increased BMI in children, but this relationship is associated with reduced sleep.

[Prevalence of overweight and obesity in 9 and 10 year-old children in the Principality of Asturias: evaluation bias by parents]. / Prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en los niños de 9 y 10 años del Principado de Asturias: el sesgo de la valoración de los padres.

INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obesity in children is a very important issue in the field of health. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in pre-adolescent children aged 9 to 10 years old in the Principality of Asturias, and to assess the reliability of the measurements of weight and height reported by parents. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A sample of 291 subjects, 142 girls and 149 boys were chosen at random from the network of schools in the Principality of Asturias. They were weighed and measured individually at the school. All participants brought the signed consent of their parents, which also contained the anthropometric measurements of they made of their children. RESULTS: The results showed that 28.17% of children aged 9 and 10 years old in the Principality of Asturias were overweight and 15.80% obese. This means that 44% of the sample had some degree of overweight. Data reported by parents underestimated the weight of both the boys and girls by an average of 2.07kg. CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of excess weight observed is due to the categorisation system used (IOFT) and the age of the sample. The results call into question the research with data indirectly recorded data.