Prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children in Tebessa [eastern Algeria] between 1995 and 2007

Abstract

This study assessed the prevalence of overweight and obesity among public-school children aged 4 to 13 years in Tebessa, eastern Algeria over 10/12 years. Weight and height measurements of 21 618 schoolchildren were obtained from their health cards for 1995 to 2007 [‎49.4% girls and 50.6% boys]‎. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2005/2007 was 8.49%, down from 17.39% in 1995/1998. Overweight decreased from 12.55% to 6.38% [‎P= 0.0001]‎ and obesity from 4.48% to 1.80% [‎P= 0.0001]‎ over the same time period. Children aged 10 to 13 years were the only ones who showed changes during this period. More girls were obese than boys [‎3.20% versus 2.82%, P= 0.033]‎, while more boys were overweight [‎8.73% versus 7.94%, P= 0.034]‎. While the rates of overweight and obesity have decreased over 10/12 years, the rates still suggest the need for epidemiological surveillance and the development of a health-oriented strategy for prevention of childhood obesity