Frequency of Childhood Overweight and Obesity in a Health Center in Rosario, Argentina

Abstract

Objective: to identify overweight and obesity in children aged 5 to 12, who attended the health control at a Community Center in the city of Rosario, Argentina, during 2013. Material and methods: descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study. Weight, size, and (bmi) body mass index were registered; as well as biochemical values of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; triglycerides; glycemia and insulin. Biochemical parameters were related to the bmi considering that it was significant if the p-value was <0.05. Results: 1 520 children were controlled, of which 15.5% registered a higher weight for their age; 23.8% of these registered overweight; 43.8% obesity and intense obesity 32.4%. The result of blood glucose was found altered in nine children, 12 in insulin, 14 in total cholesterol, 11 in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 38 in cholesterol in high density lipoprotein, and triglycerides in 30 children. A significant association was presented between bmi with high density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol low density (p=0.0352 and 0.0483). Blood pressure values presented alterations in six cases, which had been registered a direct family history of hypertension before the age of 55. Conclusions: Overweight and childhood obesity are a public health problem that involves the risk of producing in adult life, diseases of high health risk and high social cost.