MGM Journal of Medical Sciences (Jan 2023)

Childhood obesity: A cross-sectional study among children aged 6–12 years attending pediatric outpatient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kolkata, India

  • Kuntala Ray,
  • Mausumi Basu,
  • Ankita Mishra,
  • Vineeta Shukla,
  • Ripan Saha,
  • Murari M Mandal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_265_22
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 2
pp. 203 – 209

Abstract

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Background: Children who develop obesity in the early years of their lives tend to remain so in their adolescence and adulthood and are at a higher risk of developing non-communicable diseases. Objectives: The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children attending a pediatric outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kolkata and to identify the factors associated with overweight and obesity among them. Materials and Methods: An observational study, cross-sectional in design, was conducted among children aged 6–12 years attending a pediatric OPD of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kolkata from October to December 2021. Data were collected from 223 participants using a predesigned, pretested, and structured schedule by face-to-face interviews with their guardians, spot observation, and anthropometric measurements. We summarized the data with the help of suitable descriptive statistics. Multivariable binary logistic regression was performed to find the factors associated with overweight to obese nutritional status. All statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS) version 25.0. Results: Out of 223 participants, 48% belonged to the age group of 6–8 years. The proportion of male-to-female children was nearly equal. About 22% of the study population were overweight to obese. The factors associated with overweight to obese nutritional status were less duration of outdoor play, frequent intake of processed meat, and the occasional intake of green leafy vegetables. Conclusion: A significant proportion of the children attending pediatric OPD were overweight to obese. Children must be motivated by parents and teachers for adequate physical activity and avoid consuming too much fast food.

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