Overweight, obesity and eating behaviors in primary school children in Cruces municipality, Cienfuegos province

Abstract

Introduction: The epidemiological and nutritional transition of the country is characterized by an excessive increase in body weight, associated with an obesogenic environment that requires the implementation of measures aimed to achieve dietary and behavioral modifications.

Objective: Describe the behavior of overweight, obesity and eating behaviors in primary school students in Cruces municipality, Cienfuegos province.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, with a sample group of 1 263 students aged 6 to 12 years, belonging to 7 schools, 4 of them urban ones and 3 rural ones in Cruces municipality, Cienfuegos province. The nutritional assessment was carried out using the Cuban values of the body mass index in children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years, to determine the cardiometabolic risk, percentiles of waist circumference in school children aged 8 and over. The frequency of weekly events and food consumption were studied as dietary indicators. 
Results: Prevalence of overall overweight of 37.3%, greater affectation in urban area (37.9%) vs rural area (33.7%), with increase in the ages, slight predominance in females. 38.8% of males had undesirable waist circumference values vs. 24% in females. Preferences for fried foods, and high sugar addition were found, and non-compliance with food events such as breakfast, low vegetable consumption and high consumption of instant and sparkling soft drinks.

Conclusions: The nutritional state in Cruces municipality is characterized by a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, with a higher risk of chronic non-communicable diseases related to diet, results that could be found in the country’s school population. This justifies actions to promote the consumption of healthy food in the educational community of the territory and the implementation of obesogenic guidelines and environmental transformative actions.