The Prevalence of Obesity among Iranian Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Obesity is a common nutritional disorder worldwide. Considering extensive studies with different results on the prevalence of obesity in adolescents in the country, the present meta-analysis study were performed to achieve an accurate and valid rate for planners. Methods: All cross-sectional studies conducted on the prevalence of obesity in adolescents were collected without any restrictions from national and international databases, including Scopus, Iranmedex, SID, Magiran, and PubMed in August 2015. Random effect model at 95% confidence level was used for data analysis and obtaining a brief measure. The heterogeneity between the results was determined using I2 statistical test. Results: In this investigation, 24 articles met the inclusion criteria to enter the study. According to the studies, the prevalence of obesity in Iranian adolescents has been reported 4.7% (CI= 95%: 1.4-5.8), and the prevalence of obesity was higher in boys than girls (5.56% compared to 4.32 %). Conclusion: According to changes in lifestyle and also spread of poor dietary patterns in modern societies, the need for planning and implementation of interventional programs is essential in this regard for these age range at family, school, and society levels.  

Keywords

• prevalence
• obesity
• meta-analysis
• adolescent
• iran