PREVALENCE OF BEING OVERWEIGHT AND OF OBESITY AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ

Background
Early identification of obesity is crucial for effective control, treatment, and prevention of complications. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors connected with children being overweight and with obesity among secondary school students.

Material and methods
In this cross-sectional study, 550 children were included from 32 schools in Duhok City, Iraqi Kurdistan, between November 2021 and April 2022.

Results
The mean age of the children was 15.54 years (13-18 years). Half of them engaged in regular physical activity. Most were normal sleepers (58.55%), followed by long sleepers (37.27%), and short sleepers (4.18%). The majority consistently consumed breakfast (66.91%), lunch (83.27%), and dinner (89.64%), with 53.27% having extra portions. A significant proportion regularly consumed junk food: 52.0% up to 3 times per week, and 39.46% more than 3 times. Regarding sugar-sweetened beverages, 89.64% drank them, primarily 1-3 times per day (85.09%). The prevalence of overweight children and obesity among school children was 13.27% and 14.91%, respectively. Females were more likely to be overweight (16.77%), while males were more likely to be obese (13.68%; p=0.023).

Conclusions
The prevalence of obesity and being overweight is relatively high in children in Duhok city. The study revealed that being male and having overweight or obese fathers were significant predictors of the prevalence of obesity among school children.