Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Preschool Children in the Municipality of Frei Paulo, SE: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the anthropometric profile of pre-school children aged four to six years at Juvina Moreira Municipal School, in the city of Frei Paulo, SE, Brazil. Material and Methods: This was a longitudinal study that followed up 42 children for six months, in which two anthropometric data collections were performed. The data obtained were analyzed based on cut-off points established by the World Health Organization for Body Mass Index. The cut-off points used were: percentile lower than three for weight deficit; percentile between three and 85 for eutrophic; and percentile ≥85 for risk or development of overweight. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare two variables and the Spearman coefficient was used to test a correlation between waist: height ration and the BMI Z-score. The data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 5.0, with a 5% significance level. Results: Out of the 42 children who participated in the study, 18 (42.86%) were females and 24 (57.14%) were males. In the first semester, 26.19% of the pre-school children were classified as at risk of overweight or out of weight range (overweight or obesity). In the second semester, this number decreased to 16.67%. The prevalence of altered circumference remained at 19% in both semesters, and a positive correlation was found between the waist circumference ratio and the BMI Z-score. Conclusion: The overweight and obesity rates observed among pre-school children from Frei Paulo are relevant and compatible to what is found in other regions of Brazil. Despite the reduction of these rates in the second semester, the numbers show the need for intervention in this population through education and health promotion. DESCRIPTORS Obesity.Overweight.Child.Public Health.