The Prevalence of Childhood Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity based on Four Different Criteria

Childhood/adolescence under- and over-nutrition are among the major public concerns worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among children living in Yazd, Iran using different criteria.

This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. Body weight, height, waist, and hip circumference were measured. Furthermore, the body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio were calculated. Afterwards, BMI was classified according to four criteria including the US center for disease control and prevention (CDC), world health organization (WHO), the international obesity task force (IOTF), and Iranian national cut-points.

The mean age of the included children was 11.32 ± 3.89 years. Overall, the highest rate of underweight was estimated by IOTF %16.9 and the lowest rate was estimated by the national criteria %1.2. Furthermore, the highest and the lowest rates for overweight were obtained by CDC2000 %19.0 and WHO criteria %12.2, respectively. The highest and lowest rates for obesity were obtained by the national %22.3 and the CDC2000 criteria %11.3, respectively. The selected criteria were significantly different in estimating underweight, overweight, and obesity (P < 0.05).

All the mentioned criteria showed high rate of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Yazd. Furthermore, the highest rate of obesity was detected by national criteria. The national distribution of BMI in Iranian children is skewed to overweight and obesity.