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Prevalence of overweight/obesity and fitness level in preschool children from the north compared with the south of E urope: an exploration with two countries
Author(s) -
CadenasSanchez C.,
Nyström C.,
SanchezDelgado G.,
MartinezTellez B.,
MoraGonzalez J.,
Risinger A. S.,
Ruiz J. R.,
Ortega F. B.,
Löf M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/ijpo.12079
Subject(s) - medicine , overweight , obesity , environmental health , demography , pediatrics , gerontology , sociology
Summary Background North–south differences in the prevalence of obesity and fitness levels have been found in E uropean adolescents, yet it is unknown if such differences already exist in very young children. Objectives This study aims to compare the prevalence of overweight/obesity and fitness levels in preschool children aged 4 years from S weden (north of E urope) and S pain (south of E urope). Methods The sample consisted of 315 S wedish and 128 S panish preschoolers. Anthropometry (weight, height, waist circumference) and fitness (strength, speed–agility, balance and cardiorespiratory fitness) were assessed. Analysis of covariance adjusted for age, sex and height/body mass index ( BMI ) was used. Results Preschool children from S weden had lower prevalence of overweight/obesity than their peers from S pain ( W orld O besity F ederation, mean difference, MD = −9%, P = 0.010; W orld H ealth O rganization, MD = −11%, P = 0.011). Concerning fitness, preschoolers from S pain were more fit in terms of upper‐muscular strength ( MD = +0.4 kg, P = 0.010), speed–agility ( MD = −1.9 s, P = 0.001), balance ( MD = +4.0 s, P = 0.001) and cardiorespiratory fitness ( MD = boys = +6.6 laps, girls = +2.3 laps; P < 0.001 for all), yet they had worse lower‐muscular strength ( MD = −7.1, P ≤ 0.001) than those from S weden. Differences in upper‐muscular strength were largely explained by differences in BMI , and differences in cardiorespiratory fitness should be interpreted cautiously due to some methodological deviations. Conclusions These findings suggest that a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity in S pain compared with S weden is present already at early childhood, while differences in physical fitness components showed mixed findings.