Determination of Factors Related to Obesity and Overweight Among Students in Ilam

Abstract

Background: Obesity and overweight are among the serious challenges of the health system in the world. Environmental factors are among the most important determinants of obesity in different groups of society. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between some environmental factors and obesity and overweight among students of Ilam. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 576 students who were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. The required data were collected under medical supervision by trained experts of public health centers during screening examinations. Statistical tests such as t-test, Chi square, and variance analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: A sample of 576 students including 371 (64.4%) girls and 202 (35.6%) boys was investigated. In general, 112 (19.5%) students were obese or overweight. The average body mass index (BMI) for boys and girls was 16.35 ± 2.9 and 17.28 ± 9.8, respectively. Most dental caries was in the age group of 7 years (1.8). The 11-year-old age group had the highest average BMI. There was a statistically significant relationship between dental caries and BMI of the students (P = 0.012). Also, there was a statistically significant association between the height and the weight of the students and education level of the parents (P = 0.001). Furthermore, a statistically significantassociationwasobservedbetweenmother’sjobandtheheightandtheweightof thestudents(P=0.001). Whereas,there was no statistically significant relationship between father’s job and the height, weight, BMI, and dental caries of the students. Conclusions: Policy making and educational programs can raise awareness among parents with less than high school education and retired women. They can also play an important role in balancing the height and the weight of elementary students.