Social Factors

Childhood Obesity

Obesity in children is a global pandemic which leads to serious health and social consequences in adulthood. While genetic contributions are considered partly responsible, changing social and lifestyle habits are viewed as the main causes for the alarming increase in its incidence. This study aimed at examining associations between lifestyle factors and childhood obesity in a sample population of Malaysian school children. Methodology: A cross sectional survey design was used. Children of ages ranging from 7-10 years were picked from three different schools in Selangor by random stratified sampling. Percentage levels of body fat and BMI were estimated using anthropometric measurements (skin fold thickness, height and weight) and calculations. Questionnaires for parents were distributed to the students inquiring of socio-demographic background (daily allowance, parental education & income), nutritional history and lifestyle practices (physical activity, snacking habits, television viewing time, food and beverage preferences). SPSS v. 10.01 was used to analyse the data collected. Results: Results showed that 22.4% of the children were above optimal weight of which 11.7% were overweight and the other 10.7% obese. Only 25% of the boys exercised daily compared to 11.5% of the girls. About 44.9% of the subjects snacked more than thrice a week, with fried food being the most favourite type of food (93.7%) and sugary drinks the favourite beverage (37%). About 36.2% of the subjects had physical inactivity in the form of television viewing ranging from 1-3 hours a day. Family income was seen to have a positive correlation with BMI levels, with children from more affluent families having higher BMI levels. Conclusion: Factors that influence overweight and obesity are multiple and varied, but could be partly due to the unhealthy eating habits and modern sedentary lifestyle practices. Objective measurement of such factors on a larger, nationwide scale is warranted.