[Prevalence of obesity and overweight within the school environment in Tafilalet oasis, south-east of Morocco]. / Prévalence de l'obésité et du surpoids en milieu scolaire, oasis de Tafilalet, sud-est du Maroc.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a serious public health problem having a direct impact on physical and psychological health of individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight in a child population attending urban and rural schools in the oasis of Tafilalet. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study within the urban and rural public schools in of the oasis of Tafilalet. We recruited a representative sample of 3,684 children attending 39 public primary schools. RESULTS: The average age of patients was 9.81 ± 2.13 years. The total sample was divided into 1,794 boys (48.70%) and 1,890 girls (51.30%). Two thousand three hundred and nine lived in an urban area (62.70%) and 1,375 in a rural area (37.30%). According to the World Health Organization References, our study showed a rate of obesity of 1.9% and of 10.8% for overweight. Overweight and obesity were not significantly associated with children sex. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of obesity in the oasis of Tafilalet is less than the national and international values; lifestyle and dietary habits of this population appear to be a protective factor against overweight and obesity.