Background: Recent research has emphasized the hazards of obesity and overweight by showing the strong connection between high body mass index and co-morbidities. The present study was aimed at assessing the risk factors that may cause an increased incidence of childhood obesity among school-age children and adolescents and discover whether there is a relation between children's lifestyle and the risk of obesity among Madinah's children.
Methodology: A case-control study was carried out in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, from November 2019 to April 2021. A total of 593 children had been recruited (326 males, 267 females) using a media-based questionnaire targeting school-age children and adolescents (5-18 years) in Madinah city. Out of the total, 241 cases were obese, 111 were overweight, and 241 were controls.
Results: Overweight/ obesity was 8-fold higher in children whose mother's educational level was a middle school [odds ratio (OR): 8.187, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.394-27.993]. Children who ate a large amount of food compared to their friends were associated with a 5-fold increased risk of overweight/obesity (OR: 5.679, 95% CI: 2.656-12.144). More prolonged screen-time exposure to television or electronic devices resulted in a 3-fold increased risk of overweight/obesity for children who spent 5-7 hours per day (OR: 2.849, 95% CI: 1.032-7.862)
Conclusion: Our study found a relationship between being overweight and obese and several risk factors, including mother's education level, amount of food consumption, and screen time.
Key words: Risk factors, school-aged, adolescents;,obesity, Madinah
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