Incidence Of Childhood Overweight And Obesity Among Schoolchildren Aged 6-17 Years In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT 

Overweight and obesity are reported to be increasing worldwide and currently constituting a public health problem. The consequences of these include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyper-lipidemia, coronary artery diseases and some cancers. The reports from several regions of the world concerning overweight/obesity among children and adolescents are not consistent. In Nigeria there is no current national figure on overweight/obesity in the adult or children. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, Nigeria. This study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design. A total of 611(289 males and 322 females) children from four secondary and four primary schools were assessed for overweight and obesity using standard anthropometric methods of diagnosis. Information on age,    sex, family size, lifestyle, meal frequency, occupation and income of parents were obtained using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis at p=0.05. Mean age was 10.78 ± 2.47 years, height was 1.37 ± 0.08 meters, and weight 39.39 ± 7.86 kilograms. Using BMI for age, 60(9.8%) were overweight, 31(5.1%), were obese, 490(80.2%) were in the normal range and 30(4.9%) were underweight. Overweight was more 59(64.8%) in the females than males 32(35.2%), so also obesity 21(67.7%) females, and 10(32.3%) males. However overweight prevalence was 9.8% and obesity 5.1% (p