Situación ponderal de la población escolar de 6 a 9 años en España: resultados del estudio ALADINO 2015
- Marta García-Solano
- Enrique Gutiérrez-González
- Ana María López-Sobaler
- María Ángeles Dal Re Saavedra
- Teresa Robledo de Dios
- Carmen Villar-Villalba
- María José Yusta-Boyo
- Napoleón Pérez-Farinós
ISSN: 1695-4033, 1696-4608
Year of publication: 2021
Volume: 94
Issue: 6
Pages: 366-376
Type: Article
More publications in: Anales de Pediatría: Publicación Oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría ( AEP )
Abstract
Introduction Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence has grown alarmingly in the last twenty years or so in many countries of Europe, including Spain. This study presents the prevalences of overweight and obesity in 6 to 9 year-old schoolchildren in 2015, and their associated characteristics. Methodology ALADINO (Its initials in Spanish for Diet, physical activity, child development and obesity) is a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 6 to 9 year-old schoolchildren in Spain, in line with the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The height and weight of the participants, defining the weight status according to WHO standards, and a questionnaire was given to the parents on lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics. Results Anthropometric measurements were taken on 10,899 schoolchildren for 168 primary education centres. Excess weight was observed in 41.3% (95% CI: 40.0-42.6), overweight in 23.2% (95% CI: 22.1-24.3) and obesity in 18.1% (95% CI: 17.2-19.1), with obesity being more prevalent in boys, overweight in girls. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 23.2% (95% CI: 21.8-24.6). The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased with age. Excess weight decreased by 3.2% compared to 2011, mainly due to the decrease in overweight in boys, while that of obesity remained stable. Excess weight was more prevalent in schoolchildren from families with a lower socioeconomic level. Conclusions The prevalence of excess weight in 6 to 9 year-old schoolchildren in Spain has decreased by 3.2% since 2011, due to the decrease in overweight, whilst obesity remained stable. Action must be taken in the obesogenic environment, by promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity, bearing in mind the inequalities in health.