Relationship between childhood obesity and socio-economic status among primary school children in Costa Rica

Bibliographic Data

ID15095342
AuthorsTatiana Gamboa-Gamboa (0000-0003-3021-1119, Universidad de Costa Rica, corresponding author), Romain Fantin (0000-0003-2906-3438, Universidad de Costa Rica), Jeancarlo Cordoba (0000-0002-1587-3723, Universidad de Costa Rica), Ivannia Caravaca (Ministerio de Salud), Ingrid Gómez-Duarte (0000-0002-1459-4466, Universidad de Costa Rica)
Year2021
Volume24
Issue12
Pages3825-3833
Publication date2021-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980021002032
PMID33975662
OpenAlexW3161153179
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited25

Objective: This article analyses the relationship between socio-economic status and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the primary school population in Costa Rica. Design: A National School Weight/Height Census was disseminated across Costa Rica in 2016. The percentage of children who were overweight or obese was calculated by sex, age and socio-economic indicators (type of institution: private, public, mix; type of geographic location: rural, urban and the level of development of the district of residence: quartiles). A mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression model and mixed-effects logistic regression model were used to analyse the association between the prevalence of being overweight or obese and district socio-economic status. Setting: The survey was carried out in public and private primary schools across Costa Rica in 2016. Participants: In total, 347 366 students from 6 to 12 years were enrolled in public and private primary schools. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children was 34·0 %. Children in private schools were more likely to be overweight or obese than students in public schools (OR = 1·10 [1·07, 1·13]). Additionally, children were less likely to be overweight or obese if attending a school in a district of the lowest socio-economic quartile compared with the highest socio-economic quartile (OR = 0·79 [0·75, 0·83]) and in a rural area compared with the urban area (OR = 0·92 [0·87, 0·97]). Conclusions: Childhood obesity in Costa Rica continues to be a public health problem. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children was associated with indicators of higher socio-economic status

Environmental health · Geography · Logistic regression · Multinomial logistic regression · Obesity · Overweight · Population · Public health · Quartile · Residence · Rural area · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Demography · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Health and Lifestyle Studies · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access