Overweight and obesity among preschool- aged children in Lebanon :prevalence and associated factors -

Abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean region is characterized by one of the highest burdens of pediatric obesity worldwide. The present study aims at examining the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity in Lebanese preschool children aged 2-5 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a nationally representative sample (n=531) of 2-5 year old children and their mothers. Subjects were recruited from randomly selected households based on stratified cluster sampling from the six governorates of Lebanon. Socio-demographic, lifestyle, dietary and anthropometric data were collected. Overweight and obesity were defined according to WHO 2007 growth standards. Prevalence rates of overweight (weight for height Z core +2) and obesity (weight for height Z score +3) were estimated at 6.5percent and 2.7percent, respectively. Regression analysis showed that the odds of overweight increased significantly with increasing educational attainment of mothers (OR=5.257) and fathers (OR=9.646), and amongst those reporting the presence of a household helper (OR=2.714). The odds of obesity were significantly lower amongst those reporting a higher crowding index (OR=0.446). A positive and significant association was documented between overweight and dietary fat intake (OR=2.876). A significant correlation was found between maternal dietary intake and child’s dietary intake. There was no association between history of breastfeeding and overweight in the study sample. This study provides current estimates of obesity amongst Lebanese preschoolers and highlights positive associations between overweight and socio-economic status, measured by parental education, presence of household helper and crowding index. These findings highlight the importance of the home environment in modulating the child’s lifestyle and dietary habits and call for intervention strategies targeting the family as a unit.