Mphekgwana Peter M, Mbombi Masenyani O, Muthelo Livhuwani, Tlouyamma Joseph, Nemuramba Rathani, Ntimana Cairo, Mothapo Katlego, Dhau Inos, Maimela Eric
Research Administration and Development, University of Limpopo, Sovenga 0727, South Africa.
Department of Nursing Science, University of Limpopo, Sovenga 0727, South Africa.
Children (Basel). 2022 Nov 10;9(11):1728. doi: 10.3390/children9111728.
Background: Childhood obesity has become the most important and growing public health problem in the world. They add to public health challenges by increasing the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. However, in spite of its importance, there is limited literature that evaluates the prevalence of obesity among rural adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. We report the first study to present an insight into rural black overweight South African children and the physical characteristics and socio-economic status of the household head. A quantitative cross-sectional population study was conducted involving 51 selected primary villages within the DIMAMO surveillance area in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study involved 294 adolescents, 154 girls and 140 boys, who were under the age of 18. Of these participants, 127 (43%) were within the normal weight range, and 167 (57%) were overweight. Gender made a significant difference, with more girls being overweight than boys. Adolescents who did not receive child grants and whose heads of household were 45−54 years old, poor, and overweight had a higher prevalence of obesity (p-value < 0.05). This study suggests that public health interventionists need to target both the heads of household and their children in hopes of reducing the prevalence of overweight and obese South African children. We further propose a better understanding of the causes of childhood overweight and obesity to guide policy development and implementation in rural settings.
儿童肥胖已成为全球最重要且日益严重的公共卫生问题。它通过增加慢性非传染性疾病负担，加剧了公共卫生挑战。然而，尽管其重要性显著，但评估撒哈拉以南非洲农村青少年肥胖患病率的文献却很有限。我们报告了第一项深入研究南非农村黑人超重儿童以及户主身体特征和社会经济状况的研究。在南非林波波省摩羯座地区迪马莫监测区域内的51个选定主要村庄开展了一项定量横断面人群研究。该研究涉及294名18岁以下青少年，其中154名女孩和140名男孩。在这些参与者中，127名（43%）体重正常，167名（57%）超重。性别差异显著，超重女孩比男孩更多。未领取儿童补助金且户主年龄在45 - 54岁、贫困且超重的青少年肥胖患病率更高（p值 < 0.05）。这项研究表明，公共卫生干预人员需要针对户主及其子女，以期降低南非超重和肥胖儿童的患病率。我们进一步提议更好地了解儿童超重和肥胖的成因，以指导农村地区政策的制定和实施。
