Prevalence of obesity in a Paediatric Primary Care office. Evolution of body mass index

Introduction: childhood obesity is a health problem of increasing prevalence and most prominent, not only because of its persistence in the later stages of life but also due to its relationship with pathological conditions during childhood and adolescence such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Objective: to ascertain the prevalence of obesity and overweight in 2003 in children aged 2 to 14, seen in one paediatric Primary Care office in Fuenlabrada (Madrid) and the trends of this prevalence, compared to that observed in previous years. Subject and methods: a descriptive cross study of 318 children calculating their body mass index (BMI) at ages 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11 and 14. Obesity is defined as BMI < P95 and overweight as BMI < P85, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts from the year 2000. Results are matched with those obtained at the same ages in the cohort of 14 year old children followed in a longitudinal study. Results: the prevalence of obesity in children aged 2 to 14 was 16.03% (18.12% in boys and 14.2% in girls). The prevalence of overweight is 14.46% (11.40% in boys and 17.15% in girls). Gender differences are not significant in any of the age groups studied, neither in the whole group. Conclusions: the prevalence of obesity and overweight observed in children aged 2 to 14 in our practice are very high and similar to that registered in other Spanish regions. The paediatric practices in Primary Care centers should play a relevant role in the prevention and control of obesity.