April - June 2009, Volume 5, Issue 2

Valean C, Tatar S, Nanulescu M, Leucuta A, Ichim G

Prevalence of obesity and overweight among school children in Cluj-Napoca

Acta Endo (Buc) 2009, 5 (2): 213-219
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2009.213

Background. A rising trend in obesity among children has been observed in recent years\r\nin most countries. The majority of obese children will become obese adults having an increased\r\nrisk for chronic diseases associated with obesity, with a negative impact on their lifespan.\r\nObjective. Assesing the obesity prevalence among school children in Cluj-Napoca.\r\nMethods. The study included 7904 school children of all grades (grade 1 to grade 12) from\r\n20 schools in Cluj-Napoca. The weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were recorded for\r\neach child. Using the BMI percentile, they were classified as: normal (BMI < 85th percentile),\r\noverweight (BMI between 85th and 95th percentile) or obese (BMI > 95th percentile). BMI average\r\nand standard deviation have been calculated per age groups and sex.\r\nResults. 8.29% of school children in Cluj-Napoca are obese, while 12.84% of them are\r\noverweight. The difference between sex groups is statistically significant with boys more likely to\r\nbe obese or overweight than girls (p<0.0001). The highest prevalence has been observed among\r\nthe 6-10 years age group, while teenagers have recorded the lowest prevalence figures.\r\nConclusion. Data derived from this study would place Romania among the countries\r\nwith an average prevalence of obesity. However, extending such studies at national level\r\nwould provide more accurate data about obesity prevalence in Romania.

Keywords: obesity, children, prevalence

Correspondence: Simona Tatar, MD PhD, 3rd Pediatric Clinic of &#8222;Iuliu Ha?ieganu&#8221; University of\r\nMedicine and Pharmacy, Campeni, No 2-4, 400217 Cluj-Napoca, Romania,\r\nemail: simonatatar@gmail.com, telephone:+40-729958052, fax: +40264-590492