BMI of Students in Five Ethnic Groups in Iran and Its Relationship with Some Demographic and Familial Variables

Background and Nowadays, increasing body mass index (BMI) in adolescents that is caused by different factors is a major health threat in communities. This study aimed to determine the BMI of students and associated factors in 5 Iranian ethnic groups.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in high school students aged 12-14 years, from 5 ethnic groups, including Arab, Kurd, Sistani/Baluchi, Turk, and Turkaman. They were selected through random stratified sampling in winter 2015. Data was collected via a questionnaire containing open and closed questions in three sections: demographic, contextual, and dependent variables. The students were classified into four categories: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese according to their BMI. Data analysis was then conducted in SPSS18.
A total of 2444 students was studied of whom 51.9% were females and 56.9% lived in urban areas. The mean BMI of students was 19.7±3.9 kg/m2 and 24.2% were overweight and obese. The highest and lowest rates of overweight and obesity were found in Arabs and Sistani/Baluchi, respectively. In this study, the relationships between BMI and 25 variables were investigated. We observed significant relationships between BMI and ethnicity, having a family car, maternal diabetes, number of children, type of birth, physiological maturity and how to travel between home and school (P According to this study, the BMI in almost a quarter of the students was higher than the normal range. Some personal and family factors could increase students’ BMI. Therefore, interventions to screen and control the BMI in students are needed.