Abstract

Obesity among children is an emerging health problem in our country and is a risk factor for adult onset non-communicable diseases that are preventable. WHO defines obesity or overweight as a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair the quality of health and standard of living. Objective: To determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among rural school children of age group 10-12 years at Karakonam, Trivandrum district in South Kerala from June to July 2023. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Sample size: 161. Study Population: 10-12 years. Location: Rural School, Karakonam, Trivandrum district of South Kerala. Assessment: Semi-structured validated Questionnaire using WHO STEP wise Instrument with anthropometry and risk factors for obesity. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity from the 161 sample was 22.4% and 28.6% respectively. This study showed a significant association between lack of physical exercise and screen time with obesity (p=0.044). The study also revealed that 54% had excess screen time, 67% had fast food consumption and 80% had a history of watching television during meal times. Conclusion: This study shows the belief that overweight or obesity as the problem of developed countries and affluent urban population is no longer true. Excess Screen time, inadequate physical activities and faulty food practices are one of the many contributors to over-nutrition

Description