Obesity in Turkish children and adolescents: prevalence and non-nutritional correlates in an urban sample.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to identify the prevalence and non-nutritional correlates of childhood obesity in primary school children and adolescents living in a representative sample of an urban area in western Anatolia. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional, population-based study. A representative sample of primary school children in Aydin was randomly selected according to age, gender and socio-economic status. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated after weight and height measurement. Centres for Disease Control 2000 growth charts for children and adolescents were used to identify BMI percentiles. Weight and height percentiles were obtained from charts of growth curves for Turkish children. RESULTS: The age range of children was 6-16 years. A total of 924 children and 424 adolescents were screened for obesity. Overweight and obesity prevalence in primary school children living in Aydin was 12.2% and 3.7%, respectively. High socio-economic status was found to be associated with childhood obesity. There was no association between obesity and gender, adolescence, educational status of parents and occupation of father. CONCLUSION: In the present study, we focused on some of the non-nutritional correlates of obesity in a representative population of an urban area in a developing country. Obesity prevalence rate in Turkish children living in Aydin was higher in children from a higher socio-economic group in contrast to reports from many developed countries.