Factors associated with overweight and obesity in Mexican school-age children: Results from the National Nutrition Survey 1999

Objective. The objective of the study was to measure theprevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexican schoolagechildren (5-11 years) in the National Nutrition Survey1999 (NNS-1999). Material and Methods. Overweightand obesity (defined as an excess of adipose tissue in thebody) were evaluated through the Body Mass Index (BMI)in 10,901 children, using the standard proposed by the InternationalObesity Task Force. Sociodemographic variableswere obtained using a questionnaire administered to thechildren’s mothers. Results. The national prevalence of overweightand obesity was reported to be 19.5%. The highestprevalence figures were found in Mexico City (26.6%) andthe North region (25.6%). When adjusting by region, ruralor urban area, sex, maternal schooling, socioeconomic status,indigenous ethnicity and age, the highest prevalences ofoverweight and obesity were found among girls. The risksof overweight and obesity were positively associated withmaternal schooling, children’s age and socioeconomic status.Conclusions. Overweight and obesity are prevalenthealth problems in Mexican school-age children, particularlyamong girls, and positively associated with socioeconomicstatus, age, and maternal schooling. This is a major publichealth problem requiring preventive interventions to avoid future health consequences. The English version of this paperis available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html