|
Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A multicenter population-based study
Shooq AlEnazi1, Raghad AlAjlan1, Hamad AlKhalaf2, Mostafa Abolfotouh3, Omar Alharbi4, Rasha Alfawaz5, Bader Aldebasi3, Suliman Alghnam6
1 Epidemiology Program, Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman University, Health, and Rehabilitation Science College, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Specialized Children's Hospital/Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs; College of Medicine, King Saudi Bin Abdulaziz for Health Science, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3 Department of Research Training and Development, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4 Department of Pediatrics, King Fahad Medical City, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
5 Gulf Center for Disease Control and Prevention, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
6 Department of Population Health, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence Address:
Suliman Alghnam
Department of Population Health, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh
Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/sjmms.sjmms_417_22
|
|
Background: Childhood obesity has increased in Saudi Arabia over the past few decades. However, a representative burden of obesity remains unclear, as most studies had relied on small samples and/or used international growth references, which may have resulted in over-or underestimations of prevalence.
Objective: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia using the Saudi growth chart.
Methods: This population-based retrospective study included children and adolescents aged 2–19 years who visited any facility within the National Guard Health System (5 hospitals and 24 primary care centers) across Saudi Arabia between 2016 and 2021. The Saudi growth reference for children and adolescents was used for classification. Those with body mass index ≥95th percentile were considered as obese and ≥85th to <95th percentile as overweight. Chi-square tests were used to compare frequencies across groups.
Results: A total of 351,195 children and adolescents were included, of which 337,316 (96%) were Saudis. Overall, about one-fifth of the population was overweight (11.2%) or obese (9.4%). The prevalence of obesity was highest among children aged 2–6 years (12.3%), and it was higher among boys (10.4%) than girls (8.3%). In terms of region, the prevalence of obesity among Saudis was highest in the Central and Eastern regions (9.9% for both).
Conclusion: The findings highlight an urgent need for national interventions to focus on the upstream determinants of childhood obesity and to improve healthy options for children and adolescents in terms of food and physical activities.
|
