Mburu Margaret Wanjiru, Masibo Peninah Kinya, Makokha Anselimo, Awandu Shehu Shagari, Owili Patrick Opiyo
Department of Community Health, Amref International University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Global Programs for Research and Training Affiliate of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA.
J Nutr Metab. 2025 May 29;2025:1537082. doi: 10.1155/jnme/1537082. eCollection 2025.
Childhood overnutrition is a growing public health concern in the 21st century. It is a risk factor for adult obesity and noncommunicable diseases. If no action is taken, it is estimated that 208 million boys and 175 million girls aged 5-19 years will be living with obesity by 2035. This study aimed to determine the physical activity status and prevalence of overnutrition among school-going children aged 8-11 years and further explored the associations. A cross-sectional study design was used among school-going children 8-11 years of age in Thika town, Kiambu County, Kenya. A total of 281 children were sampled. The physical activity levels were assessed using the validated physical activity questionnaire for older children. The BMI for age Z-scores (BAZ) was calculated based on weight and height measurements, and children with a BAZ score of +1 standard deviation were considered to have overnutrition. Data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate techniques. Logistic regression was employed to determine associations between the independent variables and the primary outcome. The prevalence of overnutrition among the children was 11%. On the other hand, 22.4% of the children were underweight. Most of the children (86.5%) attended PE classes. More than half (54.8%) of the children were physically active. Physical inactivity and attending PE classes were not associated with overnutrition. Overnutrition was significantly higher among private than public school children (aOR 2.641; 95% CI = 1.013-6.887, =0.0047). There is a presence of overnutrition in school children in Thika town, Kenya. The same population is also undernourished, thus demonstrating the double burden of malnutrition. Almost half of the children were physically inactive. An integrated approach to early detection, prevention, and management of malnutrition in children aged 5-19 years is needed. These findings have implications for public health interventions in preventing childhood obesity. Interventions could prioritize encouraging physical activity through school-based education, improvement of community infrastructure, and policy approaches. Multisectoral collaboration can create solutions that encourage active commutes with general obesity prevention.
儿童期营养过剩是21世纪日益严重的公共卫生问题。它是成人肥胖和非传染性疾病的一个风险因素。据估计，如果不采取行动，到2035年，将有2.08亿名5至19岁的男孩和1.75亿名5至19岁的女孩患有肥胖症。本研究旨在确定8至11岁学龄儿童的身体活动状况和营养过剩患病率，并进一步探讨两者之间的关联。在肯尼亚基安布县锡卡镇8至11岁的学龄儿童中采用了横断面研究设计。共抽取了281名儿童作为样本。使用经过验证的针对大龄儿童的身体活动问卷对身体活动水平进行评估。根据体重和身高测量结果计算年龄别BMI Z评分（BAZ），BAZ评分高于+1个标准差的儿童被视为营养过剩。使用单变量、双变量和多变量技术对数据进行分析。采用逻辑回归确定自变量与主要结局之间的关联。儿童中营养过剩的患病率为11%。另一方面，22.4%的儿童体重不足。大多数儿童（86.5%）参加体育课。超过一半（54.8%）的儿童身体活动活跃。身体不活动和参加体育课与营养过剩无关。私立学校儿童的营养过剩率显著高于公立学校儿童（调整后比值比2.641；95%置信区间=1.013 - 6.887，P = 0.0047）。肯尼亚锡卡镇的学龄儿童存在营养过剩情况。同一人群也存在营养不良问题，因此显示出营养不良的双重负担。几乎一半的儿童身体活动不活跃。需要采取综合方法对5至19岁儿童的营养不良进行早期检测、预防和管理。这些发现对预防儿童肥胖的公共卫生干预措施具有启示意义。干预措施可以优先通过学校教育、改善社区基础设施和政策手段来鼓励身体活动。多部门合作可以创造出鼓励积极出行并预防总体肥胖的解决方案。
