Prevalence and secular trend of childhood overweight and obesity in a Mediterranean area of Southeast Spain

ABSTRACT Introduction Childhood obesity epidemic is a worldwide public health problem, but recent studies show a stabilization trend. Objective To study the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-age children from a Mediterranean area in Southeast Spain from 1992 to 2011. Methods Cross-sectional study at two-time points (1992 and 2011) of representative samples of children aged 6-11 years (n = 737 and 620, respectively). Weight and height were measured by trained personnel. Overweight and obesity were defined according to Body Mass Index (BMI) using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Results The prevalence of overnutrition (overweight plus obesity) decreased significantly from 1992 to 2011, with a decrease of 45.4% to 36.0% (according to the WHO cut-offs) or 37.3% to 30.0% (according to the IOTF cut-offs). Obesity decreased significantly according to WHO criteria (19.6% to 13.5%) while overweight remained stable. When grouping by sex, overnutrition in girls remained stable with a prevalence of 39.0% (WHO) or 34.0% (IOTF) in 1992, and 35.7% (WHO) or 31.1% (IOTF) in 2011. However, in boys a significant decrease is observed, with a prevalence of 50.0% (WHO) or 38.8% (IOTF) in 1992, decreasing to 38.8% (WHO) and 29.5% (IOTF) in 2011. Conclusions Even though the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity remained at high levels, according to our results in the studied period there was a decrease in the Mediterranean area of Southeast Spain. There was variability between sex, with a significant decrease only in males. Prevalence estimates varied depending on the reference values used.