A Study on the Obesity and Stress of Elementary School Children in the Kangnung Area

Kim, Eun Kyung; Park, Tae Sun; Kim, Ki Kyung

Abstract

This study was carried to estimate the prevalence of obesity and to investigate the relationship between stress and obesity in children. The subjects were 508 children, who were randomly selected from the fifth and sixth grade at nine elementary schools in Kangnung. The height, body weight, waist and hip circumferences and body fat(%) were measured and the levels of stress were assessed by a questionnaire consisting of the following 3 domains ; 4 items for personal factors, 11 for home, and 18 for school. The prevalence of obesity in male and female children greatly varied by the indices from 2.5% and 1.7% when judged by BMI, 9.5% and 4.0% by obesity index, and 29.7% and 34.4% by body fat(%). The stress scores from personal(47.1%) and school (47.9%) factors were higher than the stress score from home(38.5%). The stress score from personal factors of female children is significantly higher than that of male children, but the stress score from home of female children is significantly lower than that of male children. The personal stress score and the total stress score of obese female children were significantly higher than those of non-obese female children. In male children, the obesity index(%) or body fat(%) have a significant positive correlation with the stress scores from over-expectation of parents, a lack of conversation with family, examinations, discontent about school, teacher's partiality to students, and sexual curiosity. The female children have a significantly positive correlation of obesity index (%) or body fat(%) with stress scores from appearance, quarrels of parents, and inferiority complex to brothers or sisters. These results suggested that counselling and education about not only balanced diet but also the strategies for actively coping with stress are needed to prevent and treat childhood obesity.