Background: Obesity is a significant public health concern. The prevalence of obesity varies remarkably across the countries with different socioeconomic levels. To effectively fight obesity, population-based social and environmental approaches should be considered. The study aimed to assess the association between parental socioeconomic status, occupation, and educational level in relation to childhood obesity.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 obese children in Jeddah city. The sample was collected at various ambulatories of endocrine clinics from May till August 2017. Obese children between 3 and 18 years were included in the study while those who are more than 18 or less than 3-year old were excluded.
Results: The mean body mass index (BMI) of males (26.6 ± 3.93 kg/m2) was higher than the BMI mean of females (24.6 ± 4.02 kg/m2). Among the participants, 63.7% of children, with fathers having a college degree, were overweight, while 61.1% of them were obese (p-value = 0.511). Moreover, 50.7% of children, with mothers having a college degree were overweight, while 54.4% of them were obese (p-value = 0.081). Among the participants, 75.3% of children, who had unemployed mothers, were overweight, while 54.6% were obese (p-value = 0.058). However, 89.7% of children of employed fathers were overweight, while 84.7% were obese (p-value = 0.205). Among the participants, 47.4% of obese children belonged to families of high income, while 43.8% of them with medium family income were overweight (p-value = 0.0001).
Conclusion: The rate of overweight and obesity among Saudi children was higher than non-Saudis. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher with high educational levels of both parents, high family income, and among children of employed fathers.
Key words: Children, obesity, socioeconomic-status, occupation, parental education
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