Parental Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in Iranian Adolescents:  A National Study

Mitra Abtahi; Anahita Houshiarrad; Dolly Bondarianzadeh; Aazam Doustmohammadian; Morteza Abdollahi

IJ Pediatrics

The Scientific Journal of Growth & Development Research Center

Outlines

Abstract
References
Copyright

Parental Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in Iranian Adolescents: A National Study

Author(s):

Mitra Abtahi¹,

Anahita Houshiarrad¹,

Dolly Bondarianzadeh¹,

Aazam Doustmohammadian¹,

Morteza Abdollahi^1,*

1Nutrition Research Department, Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran

IJ Pediatrics:Vol. 22, issue 1; 35-42

Published online:Mar 31, 2012

Article type:Research Article

Received:Dec 27, 2010

Accepted:Nov 12, 2011

How to Cite:Mitra AbtahiAnahita HoushiarradDolly BondarianzadehAazam DoustmohammadianMorteza AbdollahiParental Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in Iranian Adolescents: A National Study.Iran J Pediatr.22(1):35-42.

Abstract

Objective: Overweight among adolescents is not only an important public health problem but also a problem affecting economic growth in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents at national level.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted within the framework of the Comprehensive Study on Household Food Consumption Patterns and Nutritional Status of IR Iran during 2001-2003. In adolescents, anthropometric indices were defined based on the CDC 2000 cut-off points for age and gender-specific body mass index (BMI). Parental characteristics were collected by questionnaire. Among the 7158 participating households, data on 7908 adolescents aged 11-19 years (3750 girls and 4158 boys) was analyzed.
Findings: The prevalence of overweight (85–94th percentile) in boys and girls was 6.2%, and 8.7%, respectively. The prevalence of obesity (≥95th percentile) among boys and girls was similar (3.3%). Parents’ weight status, father’s job and parents’ education showed significant association with weight status in adolescents. Logistic regression analysis showed that parental overweight and obesity, parental education and father’s job were the main parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents.
Conclusion: Parental overweight and obesity, parental education and father’s job seem to be the major parental determinants of overweight in Iranian adolescents. Future prevention programs must take these risk factors into account.

Keywords

Adolescents

Overweight

Parental Factors

Fulltext

Click here to download PDF.

References

1.
References are available in PDF.

comments