[Prevalence and susceptibility to obesity in a national sample of school-age children and adolescents in Mexico]

Salud Publica Mex. 2020 Nov-Dec;62(6):725-733. doi: 10.21149/11552.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the obesity prevalence among school-age children in Mexico and define possible risk-associated factors.

Materials and methods: Data from National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut 2018-19) was used. Information from 6 268 school-age children and 5 670 teenagers was obtained. Logistic regression models were esti-mated in order to study the relationship between overweight and obesity (OW+O) and sociodemographic variables, OW+O condition in their parents, health, dietary and healthy behaviors variables.

Results: . OW+O in school-age children and teenagers is associated with the presence of OW+O in their mothers (p<0.001), more time spent in front of a screen and belonging to a middle wealth conditions index; a negative association was found for dietary fiber consumption. In teenagers with obesity, the odds for depression showed an increase.

Conclusions: It is important to identify the predisposing and risk factors and the causes behind obesity in children in order to design integral prevention strategies.

Objetivo: Estimar la prevalencia de obesidad escolar y adolescente en México y definir posibles factores de riesgo asociados.

Material y métodos: de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2018-2019 (Ensanut 2018-19). Se obtuvo información de 6 268 niños escolares y 5 670 adolescentes. Se estimaron modelos de regresión logística para estudiar la relación del sobrepeso y la obesidad (SP+O) con variables sociodemográficas, presencia de SP+O en padres, variables de salud y dietéticas y hábitos saludables.

Resultados: La presencia de SP+O en escolares y adolescentes está asociada con la presencia de SP+O en la madre (p<0.001), con mayor tiempo frente a pantalla y con el índice de condiciones de bienestar medio, y se reduce a mayor consumo de fibra. En adolescentes con obesidad la probabilidad de depresión se incrementa.

Conclusiones: Es importante reconocer los factores predisponentes y de riesgo y las causas detrás de la obesidad infantil para diseñar estrategias de prevención integrales.

Keywords: adolescents; national survey; obesity; overweight; schoolchildren.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mexico / epidemiology
  • Overweight* / epidemiology
  • Pediatric Obesity* / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Schools