1. Context
The global burden of disease (GBD) studies in 1990, 2000, and 2013 showed that metabolic risk factors (MRFs) are the most important determinants of emerging non-communicable diseases all over the world (1-8). Obesity has now become a common health problem and its prevalence continues to increase in both developed and developing countries (9-11). The increasing incidence of childhood obesity and its attributed socioeconomic and public health burden is a real threat for developing countries (12). Recent studies reveal the increasing rates of overweight and obesity and their attributed ranges of adverse health outcomes in children and adolescents (13, 14). Most obese children and adolescents already are at high risk for metabolic complications, and for a wide range of morbidities (15, 16). Moreover, there are some evidence on long-term premature mortality and physical morbidity in their adulthood (16, 17).
Despite priority of the problem, there is an evident gap in the related literature on these topics (11, 18). Even though there are a few studies on trend and point estimations of BMI trend and prevalence of obesity in Iranian pediatric population, there are little information about their exposure distribution at sub-national level and no information about their trends and their effects on the health (7, 12, 19). Most of available reports are scattered or limited to specific sub groups of population (9, 12).
Remarkably, the reported basal information on prevalence of overweight and obesity varies considerably from one study to another. They are recruited based on different measures from different target groups of different scopes with quite different age and sex distributions (9, 18), so that there is a growing need to prepare primary data to bridge health research to policy recommendations (18, 20). To address this issue, we need to provide comprehensive scientific evidence for triggering policy actions, controlling the programs, and measuring the effect of interventions (21).
Considering these, the main objective of our study was to systematically review of all available studies on the means and standard deviations of anthropometric measures including body mass index (BMI); waist circumference (WC); waist-hip ratio (WHR); and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), or reported prevalence of obesity or overweight by sex, age, and year at national and sub-national levels from 1990 to 2013 in Iranian children and adolescents.
2. Evidence Acquisition
The design and protocol of the study have been described in more detail earlier (22, 23). Here we refer to some essential points in brief.
2.1. Outcomes Definition
The world health organization (WHO), U.S. centers for disease control and prevention, and international obesity task force each have presented different definitions of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents (24-27) (Table 1).
| Organization | Definition |
|---|---|
| WHO child growth standards (birth to age 5); obesity: body mass index (BMI) > 3 standard deviations above the WHO growth standard median; overweight: BMI > 2 standard deviations above the WHO growth standard median; underweight: BMI < 2 standard deviations below the WHO growth standard median; WHO reference 2007 (ages 5 to 19); obesity: body mass index (BMI) > 2 standard deviations above the WHO growth standard median; overweight: BMI > 1 standard deviation above the WHO growth standard median; underweight: BMI < 2 standard deviations below the WHO growth standard median. | |
| In children ages 2 to 19, BMI is assessed by age- and sex-specific percentiles; obesity: BMI 95th percentile ≤; Overweight: BMI 85th < and ≤ 95th percentile; normal weight: BMI 5th < and ≤ 85th percentile; underweight: BMI < 5th percentile. | |
| Provides international BMI cut points by age and sex for overweight and obesity for children age 2 to 18. The cut points correspond to an adult BMI of 25 (overweight) or 30 (obesity). |
Definitions of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents
2.2. Measures Definition
We have included studies that reported mean and standard deviation or percentile categories of BMI, WC, WHR, or WHtR or prevalence of obesity or overweight by sex, age, and year at national and sub-national levels in Iran, based on anthropometric measures. For each measure, the standardized protocols, definition and cut off were considered.
2.3. Search Strategy
To assess papers on obesity and/or overweight of Iranian children and adolescents, we searched PubMed and NLM Gateway (for MEDLINE), Institute of Scientific Information (ISI), and SCOPUS as the main international electronic data sources. Moreover Iranmedex, Irandoc, and scientific information database (SID), considered to the main domestic databases that have systematic search capability and the most coverage of national indexed or even non indexed Iranian scientific journals (Table 2). All Iranian scientific journals of medical universities that are not listed in the domestic electronic databases, governmental reports, projects reports, conferences and reference lists, were reviewed by hand searching. The Endnote version 11 reference manager software was used to manage the data.
| Search Strategy | High Body Mass Index (BMI)/Waist Circumference/Waist-Hip Ratio Waist-to-Height Ratio |
|---|---|
| (“Body mass index” [Mesh] OR “Body Mass Index” [All Fields] OR “Overweight”[Mesh]) OR “Overweight” [All Fields] OR “Obesity” [Mesh] OR “Obesity” [All Fields] OR “Quetelet* Index” [All Fields] OR “Waist circumference “[Mesh] OR “Waist circumference” [All Fields] OR “Waist-hip ratio” [MeSH Terms] OR waist hip ratio [All Fields] OR “Waist to hip ratio” [MeSH Terms] OR waist to hip ratio [All Fields] OR waist to height ratio [All Fields]) AND (“Iran” [Mesh] OR “Iran” [All Fields]) OR Iranian [All Fields] OR I.R.Iran [All Fields] OR “I.R Iran” [All Fields] OR (“Persia” [MeSH Terms] OR “Persia” [All Fields])) AND ((“1985/01/01”[PDAT]: “2013/12/31”[PDAT]) AND “Humans”[MeSH Terms]) | |
| Time span = 1990 - 2013. Databases = SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, CPCI-S, CPCI-SSH.Topic = (“Body Mass Index” OR “Overweight” OR “Obesity” OR “Quetelet* Index” OR “Waist Circumference” OR “Waist hip ratio” OR “Waist to hip ratio” OR “Waist-hip ratio” OR “Waist to height ratio”) AND (“Iran” OR Iranian OR I.R.Iran OR “persia”) OR Address= (Iran)) | |
| (TITLE-ABS-KEY (“Body Mass Index” OR “Overweight” OR “Obesity” OR “Quetelet* Index” OR “ Waist Circumference “ OR “Waist hip ratio “ OR “Waist to hip ratio” OR “Waist-hip ratio” OR “Waist to height ratio” OR “Waist-to- height ratio”)) AND (TITLE-ABS-KEY (Iran OR Iranian OR I.R.Iran OR Persia) OR (AFFIL (Iran)) AND PUBYEAR > 1989 AND PUBYEAR < 2013 | |
| “Body Mass Index”, “BMI”, “Overweight”, “Obesity”, “Quetelet* Index”, “Waist-hip ratio”, “Waist to ratio”, “Chaghi”, “Shakhesetudeh e badani”, “Ezafevazn”, “Dore kamar” , “Dore kamar be lagan”, “Dore kamar be basan”, “Dore kamar be ghad”, in combination with terms pediatr* OR child* OR adolescent OR student OR teenager OR boys OR girls koodak , atfal , nowjavan, daneshamooz, madreseh, madares, dokhtar, pesar in Persian language search. |
The Search Strategy
We limited the search to national, provincial, district, community population based studies in Iranian children and adolescents (ages 6 - 18 years) and there was no restriction on language. Databases were searched from January 1990 to the end of December 2013.
2.4. National Data Source
We used the aggregated data of childhood and adolescence surveillance and prevention of adult non-communicable disease (CASPIAN) study as the main available national data source for the cardio metabolic risk factors of children and adolescents in Iran (28). Data were collected in four different surveys during 2003 to 2012 at the national and sub-national levels in Iran (20, 29-34).We assessed first, third, and fourth rounds data since second rounds of data were not available.
2.5. Study Selection and Eligibility Criteria
We excluded papers on non-population-based studies, or those with duplicate citations. The studies that focused on specific populations (such as school-based studies) were excluded. When there were multiple publications on the same population, only the largest study or the main source of data was included. We used GBD (global burden of diseases) validated quality assessment. Papers that had poor ratings were excluded and data were extracted from moderate and high quality studies. The quality assessment has been followed independently by two research experts and probable discrepancy between them resolved based on third expert opinion. Agreement was assessed using Cohen’s kappa statistic. The kappa statistic for agreement on quality assessment was 0.92.
2.6. Data Extraction
The data extraction sheet contained the following items: general information of study and its citation; population detailed characteristics; methodological information of designing and conduction of study (the study region, scope of study (local study or survey), total sample size, age and sex groups, urban/rural areas, cut-off point of prevalence, reported prevalence and its 95% confidence interval), and study outcomes indicators (age specific prevalence of overweight and/or obesity; body mass index mean; waist circumference mean; waist to hip ratio mean).
3. Results
We refined data for prevalence of obesity and overweight by sex, age, province, and year (n = 22972). Based on our search strategy we found 3253 records; of these 1875 were from international data bases and the remaining 1378 were obtained from national data bases. After removing duplicates, via the refining steps, only 129 articles were found related to our study domain. Figure 1 is a flowchart for the data collection and selection process.
Flowchart for the Data Collection and Selection Process
Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 62 articles that met our eligibility criteria were selected. From these, the extracted results of 53 papers are reported in Tables 3 - 10 and the others are shown with related information in Tables 11 - 13.
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kermanshah, local study | U | 2010 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | NA | 9.3 ± 1.5 | 1400 | 17.3 ± 3.1 | 17.14 - 17.46 | 10.9 (10.39 - 11.41) | 13.4 (12.79 - 14.01) | ||||||
| Male | NA | 9.3 ± 1.5 | 756 | 17.44 ± 3.2 | 17.21 - 17.67 | 13.4 (12.57 - 14.23) | 12.6 (11.81 - 13.39) | ||||||
| Female | NA | 9.3 ± 1.4 | 644 | 17.11 ± 3.1 | 16.87 - 17.35 | 8.1 (7.53 - 8.67) | 14.3 (13.35 - 15.25) | ||||||
| Golestan, provencial study | U | 2005 | WHO | WHO | |||||||||
| Male | 17 - 70 | 45.9 ± 14.76 | 2500 | 26.48 ± 4.44 | 26.31 - 26.65 | 20.3 (19.67 - 20.93) | 42.3 (41.334 - 43.26) | ||||||
| Female | 43.4 ± 13.58 | 2500 | 27.63 ± 5.54 | 27.41 - 27.85 | 30.7 (29.87 - 31.53) | 35 (34.11 - 35.8) | |||||||
| Kerman, local study | U | 2009 | >2SD of mean | >2SD of mean | |||||||||
| Both | 7 - 11 | 9 ± 1.4 | 1566 | 16 ± 3 | 15.85 - 16.15 | 9.7 (9.27 - 10.13) | 4.4 (4.19 - 4.61) | ||||||
| Male | NA | 770 | 16 ± 2.9 | 15.79 - 16.20 | NA | NA | |||||||
| Female | NA | 796 | 16.1 ± 3.1 | 15.88 - 16.32 | NA | NA | |||||||
| Yazd, local study | U | 2006 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 6.9 | NA | 400 | NA | NA | 3.8 (3.29 - 4.31) | 4.3 (3.73 - 4.78) | ||||||
| Male | NA | 200 | NA | NA | 5.5 (4.78 - 6.22) | 5 (4.34 - 5.66) | |||||||
| Female | NA | 200 | NA | NA | 2 (1.73 - 2.27) | 3.5 (3.03 - 3.97) | |||||||
| Tehran, local study | U | 2002 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 10 - 19 | NA | 421 | NA | NA | 3.8 (3.45 - 4.15) | NA | ||||||
| Male | 177 | NA | NA | 5.1 - (4.39 - 5.81) | NA | ||||||||
| Female | 244 | NA | NA | 2.8 (2.46 - 3.14) | NA |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehran, local study | U | NA | Female | NA | 10.6 ± 0.71 | 1040 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | NA | CDC 2000 | 8.65 | |
| Isfahan, local study | NA | NA | Female | 14 - 18 | NA | 384 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 1.03 (0.93 - 1.13) | CDC 2000 | 9.1 (8.27 - 9.93) | |
| Tehran, local study | U | 2001 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 10 - 15 | 12.6 ± 0.9 | 396 | 19.8 ± 3.8 | 19.43 - 20.17 | 10 (9.11 - 10.88) | 16 (14.68 - 17.32) | ||||||
| Male | 12.7 ± 0.9 | 199 | 19.7 ± 4 | 19.14 - 20.26 | 13 (11.43 - 14.57) | 14 (12.33 - 15 - 67) | |||||||
| Female | 12.5 ± 0.9 | 197 | 19.9 ± 3.7 | 19.38 - 20.42 | 6.5 (5.65 - 7.35) | 19 (16.85 - 21.15) | |||||||
| Ahvaz, local study | U | 2010 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 10 | NA | 1594 | NA | NA | 17.7 (16.98 - 18.41) | 18.8 (18.05 - 19.55) | ||||||
| Male | 835 | NA | NA | 14.65 (13.80 - 15.50) | 16.7 (15.76 - 17.64) | ||||||||
| Female | 759 | NA | NA | 21.08 (19.90 - 22.26) | 21.74 (20.53 - 22.95) | ||||||||
| Bandarabbas, local study | U | NA | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Male | 7 - 11 | NA | 661 | NA | NA | 10.9 (10.16 - 11.64) | 10 (9.31 - 10.69) | ||||||
| Female | NA | 689 | 6.2 (5.77 - 6.63) | 12.8 (11.97 - 13.63) | |||||||||
| Khorasan-Razavi, provencial study | Both | 2004 | WHO | WHO | |||||||||
| Male | 15 - 20 | NA | 280 | 20.64 ± 3.45 | 20.24 - 21.04 | NA | NA | ||||||
| Female | NA | 260 | 21.47 ± 3.34 | 21.06 - 21.88 | NA | NA |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahijan, local study | U | 2001 | Female | 14 - 17 | NA | 400 | 21.9 ± 3.5 | 21.56 - 22.24 | CDC 2000 | 5.3 (4.81 - 5.79) | CDC 2000 | 14.8 (13.56 - 16.04) | |
| Tehran, local study | U | 2005 | Female | 11 - 17 | 14 ± 1.8 | 400 | 20.61 ± 3.79 | 20.24 - 20.98 | CDC 2000 | 6.7 (6.09 - 7.31) | CDC 2000 | 14.6 (13.38 - 15.82) | |
| Neishabour, local study | U | 2005 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 12 | NA | 1471 | NA | NA | 4.6 (4.38 - 4.82) | NA | ||||||
| Male | NA | 822 | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||||||
| Female | NA | 649 | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||||||
| Tabriz, local study | U | 2001 | Female | 14 - 17.9 | 16 ± 1.4 | 1518 | 21.3 ± 3.6 | 21.12 - 21.48 | CDC 2000 | NA | CDC 2000 | NA | |
| National study | U | 2011 | WHO | WHO | |||||||||
| Male | 15 - 19 | NA | 139 | 3.1 ± 21.4 | 20.88 - 21.92 | 2.8 (2.35 - 3.25) | 9.3 (7.90 - 10.70) | ||||||
| Female | NA | 145 | 21.9 ± 3.8 | 21.28 - 22.52 | 2.7 (2.27 - 3.13) | 12.4 (10.63 - 14.17) | |||||||
| Sabzevar, local study | U | 2007 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 11 | NA | 960 | 16.6 ± 2.8 | 16.42 - 16.78 | 6 (4.5 - 7.6) | 8.4 (6.7 - 10.2) | ||||||
| NA | 840 | 16.3 ± 2.6 | 16.12 - 16.48 | 3.5 (2.2 - 4.7) | 7.4 (5.6 - 9.2) | ||||||||
| Babol, local study | U | 2006 | Both | 7 - 12 | NA | 1000 | NA | CDC 2000 | 5.8 (5.46 - 6.14) | CDC 2000 | 12.3 (11.63 - 12.97) | ||
| Babol, local study | U | 2006 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 7 - 12 | 9.3 ± 1.5 | 1000 | NA | NA | 5.8 (5.46 - 6.14)F: 3.8 | 12.3 (11.63 - 12.96)M: 12.5F: | ||||||
| Male | NA | 450 | 16.8 ± 3.4 | 16.49 - 17.14 | 8.8 (8.06 - 9.54) (7 - 9 yo: 8.77) (10 - 12 yo: 10.43) | 12.5 (11.49 - 13.51) (7 - 9 yo: 12.23) (10 - 12 yo: 11.15) | |||||||
| Female | NA | 550 | 16.7 ± 2.8 | 16.47 - 16.93 | 3.8 (3.46 - 4.11) (7 – 9 yo:5.02) (10 - 12 yo: 2.99) | 12.2 (11.30 - 13.09) (7 - 9 yo: 9.9) (10 - 12 yo: 16.54) |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babol, local study | U | NA | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 12 - 17 | NA | 1200 | NA | NA | 8.3 (7.87 - 8.73) | 15.1 (14.37 - 15.82) | ||||||
| Male | NA | NA | 10.2 | NA | |||||||||
| Female | NA | NA | 6.5 | NA | |||||||||
| Kerman, local study | U | 1995 | Female | 14 - 18 | 16.2 ± 1.3 | 1000 | 19.8 ± 2.9 | 19.62 - 19.98 | WHO | 5.3 (4.99 - 5.61) | WHO | 21.9 (20.84 - 22.96) | |
| Tehran, local study | U | 2000 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 11 - 16 | NA | 2486 | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||||
| Male | 13.7 ± 1.54 | 1147 | 19.8 ± 3.95 | 19.57 - 20.03 | 7.3 (6.91 - 7.69) | 23.3 (22.27 - 24.33) | |||||||
| Female | 13.4 ± 1.64 | 1339 | 20.63 ± 4.11 | 20.41 - 20.85 | 8.3 (7.89 - 8.71) | 18.8 (17.98 - 19.62) | |||||||
| Isfahan, Markazi local study | Both | 2001 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 11 - 18 | NA | 2000 | U: 25.4 ± 5.2 R: 23.2 ± 7.1 | U: 24.29 - 26.51R: 22.76 - 23.64 | NA | NA | ||||||
| Male | NA | 1000 | 1.87 (1.79 - 1.95) | 7.4 (7.10 - 7.70) | |||||||||
| Female | NA | 1000 | 2.9 (2.73 - 3.07) | 10.7 (10.11 - 11.29) | |||||||||
| Mashad, local study | U | 1998 | Female | 15 - 19 | NA | 440 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 1.8 (1.63 - 1.97) | CDC 2000 | 5.8 (5.29 - 6.31) | |
| Guilan, local study | U | 2005 | Female | 14 - 17 | NA | 1054 | NA | NA | F: 5.2 (4.90 - 5.50) | 18.6 (17.69 - 19.51) | |||
| Rasht, local study | U | 2007 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 11 | NA | 6635 | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||||
| Male | 3551 | 5 (4.89 - 5.11) | 11.5 (11.26 - 11.74) | ||||||||||
| Female | 3084 | 5.9 (5.72 - 6.08) | 15 (14.58 - 15.42) | ||||||||||
| Zahedan, local study | U | NA | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 7 - 11 | NA | 1079 | NA | NA | NA | M: 8.9 F: 10.3 | ||||||
| Male | 500 | NA | NA | 8.9 (8.42 - 9.38) | |||||||||
| Female | 579 | NA | NA | NA | 10.3 (9.49 - 11.11) |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgan, local study | U | NA | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 15 - 18 | NA | 450 | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||||
| Male | 15.66 ± 0.68 | 225 | 21.24 ± 3.45 | 20.79 - 21.69 | NA | NA | |||||||
| Female | 16.34 ± 0.77 | 225 | 22.41 ± 4.32 | 21.85 - 22.97 | NA | NA | |||||||
| Mashhad, local study | U | NA | Female | 15 - 17 | 16.4 ± 0.09 | 622 | 20.7 ± 3.6 | 13.5 - 36.9 | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
| Tehran, local study | U | ||||||||||||
| 1999 | Both | 6 - 16 | NA | 732 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 4.5 (4.19 - 4.81) | CDC 2000 | NA | |||
| 1999 | Male | 339 | NA | 5.5 (4.95 - 6.05) | NA | ||||||||
| 1999 | Female | 393 | NA | 3.7 (3.35 - 4.05) | NA | ||||||||
| 2002 | Both | 6 - 16 | NA | 673 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 5.7 (5.29 - 6.11) | CDC 2000 | NA | |||
| 2002 | Male | NA | 312 | 6.3 (5.64 - 6.96) | |||||||||
| 2002 | Female | NA | 361 | 5.2 (4.69 - 5.71) | |||||||||
| Tehran, local study | U | 2005 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 11 - 18 | NA | 2880 | NA | NA | 7.1 (6.72 - 7.48) | 17.9 (17.06 - 18.74) | ||||||
| NA | 1180 | NA | NA | 7.8 (7.54 - 8.06) | 21.1 (20.49 - 21.71) | ||||||||
| NA | 1700 | NA | NA | 6.4 (6.12 - 6.68) | 14.7 (14.10 - 15.30) | ||||||||
| Tehran, local study | U | 2001 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Male | 11 - 16 | 13.7 ± 1.54 | 1068 | 19.8 ± 3.95 | 19.56 - 20.04 | 7.3 (6.89 - 7.71) | 18.8 (17.88 - 19.72) | ||||||
| Female | 13.4 ± 1.54 | 1253 | 20.6 ± 4.11 | 20.37 - 20.83 | 8.3 (7.88 - 8.72) | 23.1 (22.12 - 24.08) | |||||||
| Yazd, local study | U | 2000 | Female | 15 - 65 | NA | 570 | NA | NA | WHO | 16.3 (15.18 - 17.42) | CDC 2000 | 11.8 (10.15 - 13.45) | |
| Sistan va Baluchistan, local study | U | 2006 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Female | 14 - 18 | 16.4 ± 1.3 | 752 | 20 ± 1.45 | NA | 1.5 (1.39 - 1.61) | F: 8.6 (8.04 - 9.16) | ||||||
| Zahedan, local study | 2007 | Female | 11 - 14 | 13 ± 0.89 | 687 | 1.7 (1.58 - 1.82) | 8.7 (8.11 - 9.29) |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yazd, local study | U | 1998 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 7 - 11 | NA | 463 | NA | NA | 3.9 (3.56 - 4.24) | NA | ||||||
| Male | NA | 230 | NA | NA | 4.3 (3.77 - 4.83) | NA | |||||||
| Female | NA | 223 | NA | NA | 3.4 (2.98 - 3.82) | NA | |||||||
| Shiraz, local study | U | 2002 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 13 - 18 | NA | 803 | NA | 2.9 (2.51 - 3.29) | 11.3 (9.91 - 12.69) | |||||||
| Male | NA | NA | 19.4 ± 3.4 | 18.93 - 19.87 | NA | NA | |||||||
| Female | NA | NA | 20.6 ± 3.8 | 20.07 - 21.13 | NA | NA | |||||||
| Tehran, local study | U | 2002 | Female | 7 - 12 | 9.67 ± 3.5 | 1800 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 7.7 (7.37 - 8.03) | CDC 2000 | 13.3 (12.77 - 13.83) | |
| Yazd, local study | U | 2003 | NCHS | NCHS | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 12 | NA | 4755 | NA | NA | 3.5 (3.40 - 3.60) | NA | ||||||
| Male | NA | 2948 | NA | NA | 1.0 (0.96 - 1.04) | NA | |||||||
| Female | NA | 1807 | NA | NA | 7.6 (7.28 - 7.92) | NA | |||||||
| Tabriz, local study | U | NA | Female | 14 - 18 | NA | 1518 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 3.6 (3.43 - 3.77) | CDC 2000 | 11.1 (10.60 - 11.59) | |
| Tabriz, local study | U | 2008 | Female | 14 - 17 | 15.67 ± 1.01 | 985 | 21.28 ± 3.5 | 21.06 - 21.50 | CDC 2000 | 2. (2.63 - 2.97) | CDC 2000 | 16.4 (15.54 - 17.26) | |
| Tehran, local study | U | 2001 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Male | 11 - 16 | 13.7 ± 1.54 | 1068 | 19.8 ± 4 | 20.37 - 20.83 | 7.3 (6.89 - 7.70) | 18.8 (17.88 - 19.72) | ||||||
| Female | 13.4 ± 1.64 | 1253 | 20.6 ± 4.1 | 17.75 - 18.05 | 8.3 (:7.87 - 8.72) | 23.1 (22.12 - 24.08) | |||||||
| Tehran, local study | U | 1996 | Female | 11 - 14 | NA | 350 | NA | NA | CDC 2000 | 13.7 (12.46 - 14.94) | CDC 2000 | NA | |
| Kerman, local study | U | 2007 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Female | 11 - 18 | 14.3 ± 1.7 | 1221 | NA | NA | F: 2.4(2.27 - 2.53)(11 - 14 yo: 3.3)(15 - 18 yo: 1.3) | F: 11.2 (10.64 - 11.76) (11 - 14 yo: 11.9)(15 - 18 yo: 10.8) |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerman, local study | U | 2009 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Male | NA | NA | 500 | 16.78 ± 3.76 | 16.45 - 17.11 | NA | 10.2 (9.40 - 11.00) | ||||||
| Female | NA | NA | 775 | 17.25 ± 3.33 | 17.02 - 17.48 | NA | 8.9 (8.33 - 9.47) | ||||||
| Qazvin, local study | U | 2010 | Female | 6 - 14 | NA | 2201 | 17.9 ± 3.7 (6 - 9 yo: 16.10) (10 - 14 yo: 19.1(5) | NA | CDC 2000 | NA | CDC 2000 | NA | |
| Hamadan, local study | U | 1998 | NCHS | NCHS | |||||||||
| Both | 11 - 16 | NA | 2000 | NA | NA | 3.5 (3.35 - 3.65) | NA | ||||||
| Male | NA | 1000 | NA | NA | 4 (3.76 - 4.24) | NA | |||||||
| Female | NA | 1000 | NA | NA | 7.2 (6.79 - 7.61) | NA | |||||||
| Hassanabad Khaleseh of Eslamshahr, local study | R | 1994 | Female | 15 - 19 | NA | 35 | 22.5 | NA | CDC 2000 | NA | CDC 2000 | NA | |
| Birjand, local study | U | 2005 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 15 - 18 | NA | 2230 | NA | NA | 2.2 (2.11 - 2.29) | 6.2 (5.96 - 6.44) | ||||||
| Male | NA | 1115 | NA | NA | 2.8 (2.64 - 2.96) | 5 (4.72 - 5.28) | |||||||
| Female | NA | 1115 | NA | NA | 1.8 (1.70 - 1.90) | 7.1 (6.71 - 7.49) | |||||||
| Birjand, local study | U | 2012 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 11 | NA | 1541 | NA | NA | 9.2 (8.78 - 9.62) | 9.6 (9.17 - 10.03) | ||||||
| NA | 690 | 16.9 | NA | 10.9 (10.18 - 11.62) | 11 (10.27 - 11.73) | ||||||||
| NA | 851 | 16.3 | NA | 7.9 (7.41 - 8.39) | 8.3 (7.79 - 8.81) | ||||||||
| Golestan, local study | Both | 2006 | Both | 15 - 24 | NA | 499 | 22.8 | 22.3 - 23.4 | CDC 2000 | 5.1 (4.67 - 5.52) | CDC 2000 | 24.2 (22.59 - 25.81) |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age-group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | BMI | CI 95% BMI Mean | Obesity Definition | Prevalence of Obesity/CI 95% | Over Weight Definition | Prevalence of Over Weight/CI 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golestan, local study | Both | 2008 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 15 - 65 | 39.6 ± 14.3 | 6489: | NA | NA | 23 (22.39 - 23.61) | 31.5 (30.76 - 32.2) | ||||||
| Male | NA | 3245 | 25 ± 4.8 | 24.88 - 25.12 | 14.1 (13.68 - 14.52) | 32.4 (31.65 - 33.15) | |||||||
| Female | NA | 3244 | 27.5 ± 6.1 | 27.29 - 27.71 | 31.8 (31.27 - 32.33) | 30.5 (29.98 - 31.02) | |||||||
| CASPIAN I, national study | Both | 2004 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 18 | 12.27 ± 3.32 | 20,966 | 18.42 ± 3.87 | 18.42 - 3.8 | 3.42 (3.17 - 3.67) | 10.96 (10.54 - 11.39) | ||||||
| Male | 12.27 ± 3.3 | 10,793 | 18.26 ± 3.83 | 18.26 ± 3.83 | 3.34 (3.00 - 3.69) | 9.70 (9.14 - 10.27) | |||||||
| Female | 12.27 ± 3.34 | 10,173 | 18.60 ± 3.91 | 18.60 ± 3.91 | 3.50 (3.15 - 3.87) | 12.30 (11.66 - 12.95) | |||||||
| CASPIAN III, national study | Both | 2010 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 10 - 18 | 14.27 ± 24 | 5625 | 19.42 ± 4.09 | 19.31 - 19.53 | 8.91 (8.17 - 9.68) | 8.02 (7.32 - 8.75) | ||||||
| Male | 14.68 ± 24 | 2824 | 19.61 ± 4.12 | 19.45 - 19.76 | 10.13 (9.03 - 11.29) | 9.38 (8.33 - 10.51) | |||||||
| Female | 14.76 ± 23 | 2801 | 19.23 ± 4.06 | 19.08 - 19.38 | 7.68 (6.71 - 8.72) | 6.64 (5.74 - 7.62) | |||||||
| CASPIAN IV, national study | Both | 2012 | CDC 2000 | CDC 2000 | |||||||||
| Both | 6 - 18 | 12.47 ± 3.36 | 13,350 | 18.85 ± 4.42 | 18.70 - 18.99 | 11.89 (11.22 - 12.59) | 9.66 (9.13 - 10.21) | ||||||
| Male | 12.36 ± 3.39 | 6777 | 18.73 ± 4.42 | 18.53 - 18.94 | 13.58 (12.59 - 14.63) | 9.27 (8.56 - 10.05) | |||||||
| Female | 12.58 ± 3.32 | 6573 | 18.97 ± 4.39 | 18.76 - 19.17 | 10.15 (9.27 - 11.09) | 10.06 (9.30 - 10.86) |
The Prevalence of Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents (Based on BMI Measure)
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age - group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | WHR | CI 95% WHR Mean | Prevalence of Abdominal Obesity, % | WC | CI 95% WC mean | WHtR | CI 95% WHtR Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehran | U | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | Both | 10 - 15 | 12.6 ± 0.9 | 395 | 0.8 ± 0.07 | 0.79 - 0.81 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 2001 | Male | 12.7 ± 0.9 | 197 | 0.83 ± 0.06 | 0.82 - 0.84 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||
| 2001 | Female | 12.5 ± 0.9 | 198 | 0.77 ± 0.06 | 0.76 - 0.78 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||
| Khorasan- Razavi | Both | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Both | 15 - 20 | NA | 540 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 2004 | Male | NA | NA | 280 | NA | NA | NA | 74.63 ± 12.54 | 73.16 - 76.1 | 0.43 ± 0.07 | 0.42 - 0.44 | |||
| 2004 | Female | NA | NA | 260 | NA | NA | NA | 70.09 ± 10.6 | 68.80 - 71.38 | 0.47 ± 0.06 | 0.46 - 0.48 | |||
| National study | U | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Male | 15 - 19 | NA | 139 | 0.82 ± 0.05 | 0.81 - 0.83 | NA | -74.5 ± 8.9 | 73.02 - 75.98 | 0.43 ± 0.06 | 0.42 - 0.43 | |||
| 2011 | Female | NA | NA | 145 | 0.78 ± 0.06 | 0.77 - 0.79 | NA | 7.2.7 ± 9.0 | 71.24 - 74.16 | 0.45 ± 0.07 | 0.44 - 0.46 | |||
| Tehran | U | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | Male | 10 - 14 | 12.4 ± 1 | 688 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 64.9 ± 117 | 64.08 - 65.72 | NA | |||
| 2001 | Male | 15 - 19 | 16.8 ± 1 | 734 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 3.9 ± 11 | 73.10 - 74.70 | NA | |||
| 2005 | Male | 10 - 14 | 12.2 ± 1 | 190 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 72.6 ± 13 | 70.75 - 74.45 | NA | |||
| 2005 | Male | 15 - 19 | 17.1 ± 1 | 346 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 80.4 ± 12 | 79.14 - 81.66 | NA | |||
| 2008 | Male | 10 - 14 | 12.2 ± 1 | 230 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 71.3 ± 13 | 69.62 - 72.98 | NA | |||
| 2008 | Male | 15 - 19 | 17.2 ± 1 | 287 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 81.5 ± 13 | 79.97 - 83.03 | NA | |||
| 2001 | Female | 10 - 14 | 12.3 ± 1 | 675 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 66.9 ± 9 | 66.22 - 67.58 | NA | |||
| 2001 | Female | 15 - 19 | 17.0 ± 1 | 913 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 72.5 ± 9 | 71.92 - 73.08 | NA | |||
| 2005 | Female | 10 - 14 | 12.3 ± 1 | 214 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 68.5 ± 10 | 67.16 - 69.84 | NA | |||
| 2005 | Female | 15 - 19 | 17.3 ± 1 | 357 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 73.3 ± 9 | 72.37 - 74.23 | NA | |||
| 2008 | Female | 10 - 14 | 12.3 ± 1 | 231 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 66.9 ± 10 | 65.61 - 68.19 | NA | |||
| 2008 | Female | 15 - 19 | 17.2 ± 1 | 351 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 71.3 ± 9 | 70.36 - 72.24 | NA |
The WHR, WC, and WHtR Mean and Abdominal Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age - group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | WHR | CI 95% WHR Mean | Prevalence of Abdominal Obesity, % | WC | CI 95% WC mean | WHtR | CI 95% WHtR Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerman | U | 1995 | Female | 14 - 18 | 16.2 ± 1.3 | 1000 | 0.8 ± 0.06 | 0.8 - 0.81 | NA | NA | 70.8 ± 8.0 | 70 - 71.0 | NA | |
| National | Both | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | Male | 15 - 24 | 23.9 ± 0.15 | v | NA | NA | 3.2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 2005 | Female | NA | 24.9 ± 0.18 | NA | NA | NA | 18.1 | - | - | - | - | |||
| National study | U | |||||||||||||
| NA | Both | 15 - 18 | 15.66 ± 0.68 | 225 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 75.24 ± 8.76 | 74.43-76.05 | NA | |||
| NA | Both | NA | 16.34 ± 0.77 | 225 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 79.85 ± 10.35 | 78.50-81.20 | NA | |||
| Mashhad, Local study | U | NA | Female | 15 - 17 | 16.4 ± 0.09 | 622 | 0.7 ± 0.04 | 0.69 - 0.70 | 9.5 | NA | 69 ± 7.8 | 68.39 - 69.61 | NA | |
| HassanabadKhaleseh of Eslamshahr, Local study | R | |||||||||||||
| 1994 | Female | 15 - 19 | NA | 205 | 0.78 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
The WHR, WC, and WHtR Mean and Abdominal Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents
| Reference | Location | Urban/Rural | Year of Study | Gender | Age - group, y | Age | Sample Size, n | WHR | CI 95% WHR Mean | Prevalence of Abdominal Obesity, % | WC | CI 95% WC mean | WHtR | CI 95% WHtR Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASPIAN I, National study | Both | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Both | 6 - 18 | 12.27 ± 3.32 | 20,966 | 0.43 ± 0.06 | 0.429 - 0.431 | 9.27(8.87-9.67) | 64.61 ± 10.91 | 64.46 - 64.76 | 0.80 ± 0.08 | 0.805 - 0.807 | |||
| 2004 | Male | NA | 12.27 ± 3.3 | 10,793 | 0.43 ± 0.06 | 0.427 - 0.429 | 9.14(8.60-9.69) | 64.99 ± 11.41 | 64.78 - 65.21 | 0.82 ± 0.09 | 0.817 - 0.821 | |||
| 2004 | Female | NA | 12.27 ± 3.34 | 10,173 | 0.44 ± 0.06 | 0.431 - 0.433 | 9.41(8.84-9.99) | 64.21 ± 10.34 | 64.01 - 64.41 | 0.79 ± 0.08 | 0.791 - 0.794 | |||
| CASPIAN III, National study | Both | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Both | 10 - 18 | 14.27 ± 24 | 5625 | 0.44 ± 0.13 | 0.442 - 0.448 | NA | 68.72 ± 20.67 | 68.1 - 69.2 | NA | NA | |||
| 2010 | Male | NA | 14.68 ± 24 | 2824 | 0.44 ± 0.14 | 0.439 - 0.449 | NA | 67.59 ± 22.16 | 66.7 - 68.4 | NA | NA | |||
| 2010 | Female | NA | 14.76 ± 23 | 2801 | 0.44 ± 0.12 | 0.441 - 0.450 | NA | 69.86 ± 18.99 | 69.1 - 70.5 | NA | NA | |||
| CASPIAN IV, National study | Both | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Both | 6 - 18 | 12.47 ± 3.36 | 13,350 | 0.45 ± 0.06 | 0.454 - 0.458 | 19.12(18.22-20.06) | 67.02 ± 11.96 | 66.57 - 67.48 | 0.18 ± 0.03 | 0.184 - 0.187 | |||
| 2012 | Male | 12.36 ± 3.39 | 6777 | 0.46 ± 0.06 | 0.456 - 0.461 | 20.41(19.09-21.79) | 67.83 ± 12.84 | 67.15 - 68.51 | 0.19 ± 0.03 | 0.189 - 0.192 | ||||
| 2012 | Female | 12.58 ± 3.32 | 6573 | 0.45 ± 0.06 | 0.452 - 0.457 | 17.79(16.56-19.09) | 66.19 ± 10.92 | 65.62 - 66.76 | 0.18 ± 0.03 | 0.179 - 0.183 |
The WHR, WC, and WHtR Mean and Abdominal Obesity in Population-Based Studies in Iranian Children and Adolescents
Tables 3 - 10 shows the prevalence of obesity based on BMI, in eligible population-based studies in Iranian children and adolescents. Also for more precise comparison, the confidence interval for 95% significance level (CI 95%) was calculated for possible cases. We have also included each study designed.
Considering the systematic review results; the number of total population and points of data were 22972 and 29, 38985 and 47 respectively for boys and girls. There were 5 studies that did not report BMI separately for boys and girls. As well as regarding the geographically distribution we found, 9 national, 14 provincial , and 58 district level points of data.
The findings are scattered, with very wide ranges of values for BMI and for rates of obesity and overweight. On the other hand, non-standard classifications of age groups led to greater complexity in estimation of values. For instance, information about elementary school students was provided with at least 6 different age categories including: 6 - 10, 6 - 11, 6 - 12, 6 - 14, 7 - 11, and 7 - 12. The lowest rate of obesity in this age group was 3.5% which was reported in Yazd and Sabzevar (9, 38, 50) and the highest rate of 17.7% was in Ahvaz (42). Similarly there were different reports for 10 - 15 year olds; based on one of them 13% of boys and 6.5% of girls in Tehran province were obese (41), in another study via the refining steps, only 129 articles were found related to our study domain in the same province reported 7.5% and 7.3% respectively for boys and girls (55). In 15 - 19 year old group, the prevalence of obesity was 2.8% for boys and 1.7% for girls (49, 57).
In Tables 11 - 13, the WHR, WC, and WHtR mean in population-based studies in Iranian children and adolescents reported based on papers data availability.
Tables 11 - 13 include only 9 papers with information on WHR, WC, or WHtR that met the study eligible criteria. The aggregated data CASPIAN studies are presented as the main source of national data.
Based on the first CASPIAN study in 2004, the national prevalence of abdominal obesity was 9.27 (8.87% - 9.67%) for both sexes, 9.14 (8.60% - 9.69%) for males, and 9.41 (8.84% - 9.99%) for females. In the last estimation for 2012 these were increased respectively to 19.12 (18.22% - 20.02%), 20.41 (19.09% - 23.05%), and 17.79 (16.56% - 19.02%). In similar time period, the national mean of WC from 64.61 (64.46 cm - 64.76 cm) rose to 67.02 (66.57 cm - 67.48 cm).
4. Discussion
This review of our finding, similar to some regional and global studies, provides alarming evidence-based data on the considerable prevalence of childhood and adolescents overweight (9, 12, 16, 17). In Iran national studies, especially in pediatric groups, are limited and nearly there is no comprehensive study for sub-national trends. Considering the results of CASPIAN, as the only valid national study; in 2004, the national prevalence of obesity for 6 - 18 year olds male and female was respectively 3.34 (3% - 3.69%) and 3.50 (3.15% - 3.87%). In 2010 these estimations respectively rose to 13.58 (12.59% - 14.63%), and 7.68 (6.71% -8.72%). In the last estimation for 2012 these were increased to; 13.58 (12.59% - 14.63%), and 10.15 (9.27% - 11.09%).
Different age and sex groups had large variations in the prevalence of obesity and overweight. As a considerable point; there are also a lot of missing data for different sub groups which is leading from the misclassification or other limitation of research papers’ data presentation (89, 90). Some of these diversities are attributed to the geographical scopes of studies; some estimations belong to local level studies, some others estimate district level and others are designed for national estimations. Moreover, the quality of presented data, and some methodological problems, in designing and conducting the related researches, were other sources of diversity (30, 32, 85). There are also some visible data lags in some areas of country or for different target groups that should be more considered for future studies’ plan. For all measures however the reports have significant missing in reporting the confidence intervals for both measures values’ and obesity/overweight rates, which limited our ability to compare and analyze results. On the other hand, most of our efforts to contact study authors for requesting more data and information failed.
In Iran there are few national studies and nearly no comprehensive study for sub-national trends (91-93). In comparison with other related studies, compared with the GBD studies with overall 102 points of data, we benefit from more data driven estimations rather than the model driven results. We will provide more data points that lead to higher quality of estimation (1, 4-8, 19). This is the first comprehensive systematic approach to search and data gathering, during which we benefited from the highest level of access to the published, available unpublished and grey literature through the comprehensive hand searching process. We had access to main national sources of CASPIAN study (30, 32, 85).
Considering previous studies, the present study has several achievements. This study presents the most scientific evidences for the prevalence and trends of obesity and overweight in pediatric population from 1990 to 2013. We benefited from all available sources of data alongside the advanced comprehensive search strategies. All of domestic data bases were searched exactly with all of English/Persian equivalent search terms.
Because of scarcity of data, variations in groups studied, differences in living areas (urban/rural), discrepancy of the measures, for comparing and aggregating the information, we need more modern practical statistical methods (9, 12). These methods are advanced regression models, using existing data, benefit from models for age, hierarchical pattern of data, spatial and temporal pattern of data, and covariates (94, 95).
The present study summarized the information of studies on mean and standard deviation of different measures including BMI, WC, WHR, or WHtR and reported prevalence of obesity or overweight by sex, age, and year at national and sub-national levels from 1990 to 2013 in Iranian children and adolescents.
Obesity seems to be one of the major public health problems. Considering that, several methods have been proposed in the field of medical and surgical treatments. In this context, recent promising approaches emphasize on the population based interventions impacts (96). Aiming that, we call for a sustained valid data sources to monitor, prevent, and control of pediatric overweight and obesity. These processes should be followed through ongoing community-based lifestyle intervention on diet, physical activity promotion, and other local and national experiences (31, 56, 87, 97). Evidences reveal that for more effectiveness, these interventions should be started and exactly followed from the adolescence (12, 23, 96).
Health researchers, professionals and policy-makers should focus on more evidence based policies which require more reliable data. Aiming that, all processes of designing; conducting; monitoring; and distribution of data should be managed based on advanced scientific methods (18, 98).
4. Conclusions
In conclusion, the present findings could provide practical information on children and adolescents’ overweight and obesity for better health policy and more detailed design studies in this area. Because of the importance of application of researches’ data more policy attention should be considered for more efficient papers’ data presentation. The presented results also could be used for future complementary sub-national, national or even global related studies.
