Food consumption patterns among children and adolescents and their correlation with overweight/obesity in Egypt: A cross-sectional study

Background. Overweight and obesity have become epidemic diseases in Egypt. The first step to combat overweight and obesity is to study their immediate and underlying causes. Objectives. To evaluate the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Egyptian children and adolescents in correlation to food consumption patterns and other risk factors. Material and methods. This study was conducted in 369 children and adolescents, age ranging 3–18 years. Sociodemographic data and food consumption patterns were recorded using a food frequency questionnaire. Body mass index was calculated and the World Health Organization (WHO) age- and gender-percentile charts were used to determine overweight and obesity. Results. We found that 147 (39%) of the children and adolescents studied were overweight or obese. Age was inversely correlated to overweight/obesity prevalence and male gender was positively correlated. The highest rate of overweight/obesity was at the age of 3–4 years among boys. Parental education levels and socioeconomic status revealed no correlation with overweight/obesity. Carbonated soft drinks were the only dietary element positively correlated (Spearman’s rho = 0.129; p = 0.017). After adjusting the effect of age and gender; carbohydrates, eggs, sugar (either added by the consumer to drinks and food or eaten on their own), crackers, junk food, chocolate, carbonated soft drinks and juices influenced overweight/obesity among children and adolescents ( p < 0.05). Conclusions. High percentages of overweight/obesity have been reported among Egyptian children and adolescents. Prompt action needs to be taken to prohibit unhealthy food items including carbonated soft drinks, crackers, juices and chocolates in schools as well as to advocate for increasing taxes on them.