Valente Nelson, Forte Pedro, Teixeira José E, Afonso Pedro, Ferreira Sérgio, Marinho Daniel A, Duarte Mendes Pedro, Ferraz Ricardo, Branquinho Luís
Biosciences Higher School of Elvas, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal.
Research Center of Higher Institute of Educational Sciences (CI-ISCE), 4560-547 Penafiel, Portugal.
Children (Basel). 2024 Aug 13;11(8):976. doi: 10.3390/children11080976.
Childhood obesity presents a significant public health concern globally, with implications for cardiovascular health and metabolic syndrome. In Portugal, approximately 31.6% of children are affected, highlighting the urgency for intervention strategies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Portuguese school-aged children, with a focus on sex and age differences.
Anthropometric measurements were conducted on 1564 children aged 6-10 years, including weight, height, and skinfold thickness. Body Mass Index (BMI) and the percentage of body fat were calculated using established methods.
The results revealed significant differences in BMI (≤0.001) and body fat percentage (≤0.001) among different BMI categories, with a notable prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly among boys. A total of 37% of the studied population is overweight or obese, among which 40.1% and 33.9% are boys and girls, respectively.
This study highlights statistically significant differences in BMI and body fat percentage for both sexes in different BMI categories. A large proportion of the population is overweight or obese, with a greater prevalence in boys. In short, childhood obesity has a negative impact on body composition and is associated with significant differences in anthropometric parameters, emphasizing the importance of preventative and intervention strategies to address this health problem.
儿童肥胖是全球重大的公共卫生问题，对心血管健康和代谢综合征有影响。在葡萄牙，约31.6%的儿童受其影响，凸显了干预策略的紧迫性。本研究旨在评估葡萄牙学龄儿童超重和肥胖的患病率，重点关注性别和年龄差异。
对1564名6至10岁儿童进行人体测量，包括体重、身高和皮褶厚度。使用既定方法计算体重指数（BMI）和体脂百分比。
结果显示，不同BMI类别之间的BMI（≤0.001）和体脂百分比（≤0.001）存在显著差异，超重和肥胖的患病率较高，尤其是在男孩中。共有37%的研究人群超重或肥胖，其中男孩和女孩分别占40.1%和33.9%。
本研究突出了不同BMI类别中男女在BMI和体脂百分比方面的统计学显著差异。很大一部分人群超重或肥胖，男孩的患病率更高。简而言之，儿童肥胖对身体成分有负面影响，并与人体测量参数的显著差异相关，强调了预防和干预策略以解决这一健康问题的重要性。
