CorSalud 2012 Jul-Sep;4(3)

This article is only available in Spanish

Niurelkis Suárez Castillo, MD^1a; Ela M. Céspedes Miranda, MD^2a, Bethania K. Cabrera Hernández, BD^3b, Kenia M Rodríguez Oropesa, MD^4a, Elsa Agüero Argilagos, BD^5c, Esperanza Castro Leyva, Tec^6c, Ernesto Morales Morales, MD^7c and Ionmara Tadeo Oropesa, MD^8c
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1. First Degree Specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry. Instructor Professor.

2. Second Degree Specialist in Clinical Biochemistry. Associate Researcher and Professor. E-mail: elaces@infomed.sld.cu

3. Bachelor Degree in Physical Culture.

4. First Degree Specialist in Clinical Biochemistry. Instructor Professor.

5. Bachelor Degree in Hygine and Epidemiology. Instructor Professor.

6. Teaching Technical Assistan.

7. First Degree Specialist in Endocrinology. Instructor Professor.

8. First Degree Specialist in Embriology. Instructor Professor.

a)   "General Calixto García" Medical School. Havana, Cuba.
b)   UCCF Manuel Fajardo. Havana, Cuba.
c)   "Julio Trigo" Medical School. Arroyo Naranjo. Havana, Cuba.

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: The increase of obesity during childhood is alarming. Its persistence in adulthood causes a high rate of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this research was to early detect overweight and obese children at the Volodia day-nursery, from Arroyo Naranjo in Havana, Cuba; and to identify some associated risk factors. Method: 122 infants aged between 1 and 5 years, of both sexes (59 girls and 63 boys) were studied. The association of obesity with other risk factors such as birth weight, sex, family history, dietary habits and physical activity was determined. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 9.0% and 7.4% respectively, there was a statistically significant association between obesity and several variables such as family history of obesity (X²=5.690, p=0.017), waist circumference greater than 97 percentile (X²=5.690, p=0.017), and the presence of low weight or overweight at birth (X²=6.348, p=0.042). Conclusions: There is a tendency to overweight and obesity in these children. In the obese the following factors predominated: family history, waist circumference greater than 97 percentile, and low weight or overweight at birth. There was a tendency to unlimited diet and little physical activity.
Key words: Overweight, obesity, childhood, risk factors