Prevalence of overweight and obesity in elementary schools by socioeconomic zones in socioeconomic zones of the city of Chihuahua

In Mexico, childhood obesity is a relevant issue in public health, it is important to know the different factors that cause this problem. Objective: To analyze the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children from fourth to sixth grade in primary schools from different areas in city of Chihuahua, Mexico. Methods: Participated were,10 public schools from different areas in the city of Chihuahua, the selection of the sample was by convenience for each area; central zone (n=444), middle zone (n=282) and periphery (n=242). To calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI), the weight and the height were measured, the body weight status was classified according to the reference values of the World Health Organization (WHO) contained in FANTA III. Results: The average age of the school children evaluated was 10,6 +/-,92 years, 19,8% obesity was found from the total sample, with 23,9% representing boys and 15,8% representing girls. Obesity in the periphery zone was 15,3%, in the middle zone 20,9% and in the center 21,6% with a Chi-square and linear association of (p<0,001). Conclusions: Greater obesity was found in schools belonging to the downtown area of the city, therefore, it would be of great importance to involve parents, teachers, and managers, to implement appropriate measures to promote physical activity and nutrition that can help reduce the problem of obesity in that school zone.