Dietary and Socio‑Economic Predictors of Obesity Among 2–5‑Year Old in Northwest Iran

As a rising epidemic in developing countries, childhood obesity and overweight need particular attention.

The sample (n = 2432) was randomly selected among children aged 24–59 months living in West Azerbaijan Province whose information was recorded in SIB software. The survey questionnaire is derived from the Demographic and Health Survey and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey questionnaires designed by the WHO 2017 and UNICEF 2017, respectively.

The prevalence of obesity defined as BMIz (body mass index z‑score)> +2 was 1.4% among children. Dietary diversity score (DDS) was high in 59.3% of children, moderate in 36.1%, and low in 4.6%. Socio‑economic status (SES) of children families was high, moderate, and low in 34%, 28.9%, and 37.1% of families, respectively. Physical activity hours were over 3 in 85.9% of children. The girls were more likely to be obese than the boys (OR = 0.43, P = 0.016). Those with high and moderate DDS were less likely to be obese than those with low DDS (OR = 0.250 and OR = 0.180, respectively). The likelihood of obesity among children with high and moderate SES were 2.6 and 1.6 times more compared to children with low SES, respectively.

According to the results, DDS and physical activity levels are related to obesity in children aged 24–59 months. Therefore, establishing proper nutritional behavior and promoting a healthy lifestyle are essential for preventing obesity and non‑communicable diseases in this age group.