Objective To examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschool children in downtown Shanghai, and to investigate the correlation of overweight and obesity with dietary nutrition, eating behaviors, and family factors, in order to provide evidence for public health policy development.
Methods A total of 588 children aged 3-5 years old from two kindergartens in downtown areas of Shanghai were enrolled. A group-matched study was conducted among 117 overweight or obese children (overweight/obesity group) and 471 healthy children (control group). Their dietary intakes for 3 days, eating behaviors, and family environment were assessed. Anthropometric measurements, including height and weight, were conducted. SPSS 16.0 software was applied for χ2 test and multivariate logistic analysis.
Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the selected children were 15.31% and 4.59%, respectively. The daily dietary energy and fat intakes of the overweight/obesity group were higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The results of the multivariate analysis revealed that taking food fast (OR=3.012, 95%CI: 1.475-6.150), high birth weight (OR=1.708, 95%CI: 1.229-2.375), and parental overweight or obesity (OR=2.026, 95%CI: 1.065-3.855) were risk factors of overweight and obesity; while high frequency of eating seafood (OR=0.376, 95%CI: 0.186-0.759) and high maternal education level (OR=0.431, 95%CI: 0.227-0.819) were protective factors.
Conclusion The prevalence of overweight and obesity are high among the investigated children. Dietary nutrition, eating behaviors, and family factors are closely related to overweight and obesity in preschool children.
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