Relationships between overweight, obesity and physical fitness of nine- to twelve-year-old South African children

Background: South African children show the same tendencies in overweight and obesity as children in developed countries a decade ago. Childhood overweight is associated with chronic diseases, early mortality in adulthood and psycho-social effects with lifelong consequences. This study aimed to determine relationships between overweight, obesity and physical fitness of nine- to twelve-year-old South African children. Methods: Anthropometric (body-mass index [BMI], fat percentage) and physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, body composition, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility) measurements were obtained from 280 children aged nine to twelve years (128 boys, 152 girls) using the Fitnessgram and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency II. International cut-off points were used to categorise children into normal-weight, overweight or obese categories. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman rank order correlation and variance of analysis. Results: One in five children was overweight or obese, while girls were twice as likely as boys to be obese. Aerobic capacity and muscle strength, especially leg strength, decreased progressively with an increase in BMI. A progressive but nonsignificant decline was found in muscle endurance with increasing BMI, while flexibility showed the poorest relationships with various degrees of weight. Variance of analysis indicated significant relationships between BMI, cardiovascular endurance and strength (p < 0.05), while different relationships were found when gender was taken into consideration. Conclusions: Health-enhancing physical fitness of young children is negatively affected by overweight and obesity, and intervention strategies are recommended to improve the quality of life of such childre,n but also to prevent early mortality during adulthood.Keywords: overweight; obesity; children; gender; physical fitnes

Obesity and caries in four-to-six year old English children: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and caries are common conditions in childhood and can have significant implications on children's wellbeing. Evidence into their association remains conflicting. Furthermore, studies examining the ssociation between obesity and caries commonly focus on individual-level determinants. The present study aimed to examine the association between obesity and caries in young English children and to determine the impact of deprivation and area-level characteristics on the distribution of the two conditions. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study among children in Plymouth city aged four-to-six years. Anthropometric measurements included weight and height (converted to Body Mass Index centiles and z-scores), and waist circumference. Caries was assessed by using the sum of the number of teeth that were decayed, missing or filled. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on children's demographic characteristics, oral hygiene, and dietary habits. The impact of deprivation on anthropometric variables and caries was determined using Linear and Poisson regression models, respectively. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between different anthropometric measures and caries. Logistic regression models were also used to examine the impact of several demographic characteristics and health behaviours on the presence of obesity and caries. RESULTS: The total sample included 347 children aged 5.10 ± 0.31 (mean ± SD). Deprivation had a significant impact on caries and BMI z-scores (p < 0.05). Neither BMI- nor waist circumference z-scores were shown to be significantly associated with dental caries. Among the neighbourhood characteristics examined, the percentage of people dependent on benefits was found to have a significant impact on caries rates (p < 0.05). Household's total annual income was inversely related to caries risk and parental educational level affected children's tooth brushing frequency. CONCLUSIONS: No associations between any measure of obesity and caries were found. However, deprivation affected both obesity and caries, thus highlighting the need to prioritise disadvantaged children in future prevention programmes