Risk Factors of Obesity by Body Mass Index in Preschool Boys

Yoon, Ji Young; Park, Hye Sook; Chang, Namsoo

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify dietary risk factors for childhood obesity. The study subjects were male children, aged 2 - 6years, who were enrolled in nursery schools and kindergartens. We obtained anthropometric measurements from 949 boys and dietary questionnaires from 253 boys. The subjects were classified into two groups using the BMI criteria; normal (n = 200) group with the BMI below 85th percentile and the obese group with the BMI at 85th percentile and above (n = 53). The logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratios (OR) for obesity were, birth weight greater than 4.0 kg (3.27), increased meal speed (4.98), the frequency of overeating more than twice a week (2.63), the consumption of cooked rice more than one bowl per meal (2.77), the consumption of milk and dairy products less than 5 times a week (2.81), and increased maternal meal speed (1.98). Stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the variables which contribute to obesity significantly were birth weight greater than 4.0 kg (OR 5.19), the frequency of overeating more than twice a week (OR 2.51), the consumption of cooked rice more than one bowl per meal (OR 2.74), and the consumption of milk and dairy products less than 5 times a week (OR 4.43)(p < 0.0001). The results of this study indicate that dietary habits of both children and of their mothers as well as child's birth weight are important variables that contribute to childhood obesity.