DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PROPORTION OF OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN IN THE POLTAVA REGION AND THE PREVALENCE OF THIS CONDITION AMONG CHILDREN AGED 2-4 YEARS IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is a global medical and economic problem, as this condition is associated with the development of adverse effects in both early childhood and later adulthood. Therefore, the indicator 2.2.b “prevalence of overweight among children aged 2 to 4 years” is included in the list of indicators that the UN monitors in all countries to determine their progress in achieving the goals of sustainable development. The aim. To establish the main epidemiological trends in the prevalence of overweight among children aged 2 to 4 years in Ukraine and compare it with the proportion of infants born with overweight in the Poltava region, based on BMI analysis. Object and methods. To determine the existing epidemiological trends (2008-2018) and forecast trends (2020- 2015), the prevalence of overweight among children of this age used a global database (English name). The average values of the body mass index in 3612 full-term newborns (gestational age 39 ± 1.12 weeks, weight 3387 ± 452 g) born in obstetric hospitals in Poltava during 2018 were analyzed. We calculated the average value of BMI in infants of different sexes and places of residence of parents (city, village), compared it with the value of the WHO standard. Research results. It is established that in Ukraine during 2008-2018 the prevalence of overweight in children aged 2 to 4 years increased significantly by 11.98% (from 14.7% to 16.7%) with an annual increase of 1.74%. The forecast value of this indicator in 2025 will be 18.2% (increase of 8.95%, year-on-year 1.28%), which coincides with the epidemiological trends of this indicator in other countries. The mean BMI among full-term full-term infants was – 13.3 ± 1.3, and among males – 13.4 ± 1.4, which is significantly lower than WHO standards. The share of infants with BMI more than among girls was – 4.8%, and among men – 4.72%. Differences in the share of such children depending on the place of residence of their parents were not observed. Infants with birth weight> Me + 2σ were born in isolated cases (0.17% among girls and 0.16% among boys). Conclusion. The existing differences between the proportion of overweight children and the prevalence of this condition among children aged 2 to 4 years require the development and implementation, starting from the first months of life, adequate preventive measures to optimize nutrition, exercise and increase parents knowledge about healthy eating.

Keywords

• overweight
• obesity
• body mass index.