Anthropometric evaluation of pre-school and school-age children from the European Macaronesian regions

Abstract

The growing prevalence of childhood obesity has triggered an interest in the effects of excessive weight gain in childhood. The identification of overweight and obese children at an early stage and their referral to start a treatment designed to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight comprise fundamental foundations in sustaining a healthy state. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence of normal weight, overweight, and obesity in preschool and school children in the archipelago of Madeira and Azores, and the Canary Islands. The sample included 3481 individuals (1,768 boys and 1,713 girls) aged 3 to 9 years. The prevalence of pre-obesity (20.90% vs. 16.50%) and obesity (14.10% vs. 13.00%) was higher in girls and the Odds Ratio of overweight and obesity was higher in girls and between 4 and 9 years. The boys from Madeira and the Azores and the girls from Madeira had a higher probability [1.30 (1.02-1.67)] of having a high Body Mass Index. The results expose the need for educational strategies and interventional measures that contribute to the control of childhood obesity. Keywords: Anthropometric evaluation; Children; European Macaronesia; Obesity; Overweight