CMAJ • September 13, 2005; 173 (6). doi:10.1503/cmaj.050445.
© 2005 CMA Media Inc. or its licensors
All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association.
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Veugelers, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Fitzgerald, A. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Veugelers, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Fitzgerald, A. L.
Related Collections
Right arrow Obesity
Right arrow Other pediatrics

Research
Recherche

Prevalence of and risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity

Paul J. Veugelers and Angela L. Fitzgerald

From the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta. (Veugelers) and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Veugelers, Fitzgerald)

Correspondence to: Dr. Paul J. Veugelers, Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 13–106D Clinical Sciences Building, Edmonton AB T6G 2G3; fax 780 492-0364; paul.veugelers{at}ualberta.ca

Background: Increases in childhood overweight and obesity have become an important public health problem in industrialized nations. Preventive public health action is required, but more research of risk factors is required before evidence-based initiatives can be developed and targeted effectively. We investigated the association between childhood overweight and obesity and risk factors relating to dietary habits, actitivities, parents and schools.

Methods: In 2003 we surveyed grade 5 students and their parents and school principals in Nova Scotia. We measured height and weight and assessed dietary habits (using Harvard's Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire), physical and sedentary activities, and parental and school-based risk factors. We estimated neighbourhood income by averaging, per school, the postal-code level means of household income of residential addresses of children attending that school. We used multilevel logistic regression to evaluate the significance of these risk factors for overweight and obesity.

Results: On the basis of measurements taken of 4298 grade 5 students, we estimated the provincial prevalence of overweight to be 32.9% and of obesity to be 9.9%. Children who bought lunch at school were at increased risk of overweight (fully adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–1.67), whereas those who ate supper together with their family 3 or more times a week were at decreased risk (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52–0.88). Physical education classes 2 or more times a week at school were associated with a decreased risk of overweight (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43–0.87) and obesity (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.33–0.88). Children in high-income neighbourhoods were half as likely to be obese as their peers living in low-income neighbourhoods (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.36–0.70).

Interpretation: Parents and schools provide important opportunities for public health initiatives for reducing childhood overweight and obesity. Children and schools in low-income neighbourhoods should receive priority in public health initiatives to reduce future socioeconomic inequalities in health.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
A. Alamian and G. Paradis
Correlates of Multiple Chronic Disease Behavioral Risk Factors in Canadian Children and Adolescents
Am. J. Epidemiol., November 15, 2009; 170(10): 1279 - 1289.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
B. Modin and J. Fritzell
The long arm of the family: are parental and grandparental earnings related to young men's body mass index and cognitive ability?
Int. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2009; 38(3): 733 - 744.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
M. Salvadori, J. M. Sontrop, A. X. Garg, J. Truong, R. S. Suri, F. H. Mahmud, J. J. Macnab, and W. F. Clark
Elevated Blood Pressure in Relation to Overweight and Obesity Among Children in a Rural Canadian Community
Pediatrics, October 1, 2008; 122(4): e821 - e827.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Urban StudHome page
Ming Wen, C. R. Browning, and K. A. Cagney
Neighbourhood Deprivation, Social Capital and Regular Exercise during Adulthood: A Multilevel Study in Chicago
Urban Stud, December 1, 2007; 44(13): 2651 - 2671.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Health Educ ResHome page
D. Ward, R Saunders, G. Felton, E Williams, J. Epping, and R. Pate
Implementation of a school environment intervention to increase physical activity in high school girls
Health Educ. Res., December 1, 2006; 21(6): 896 - 910.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]