Original scientific paper
Trends in Body Mass Index, Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Preschool Lithuanian Children, 1986–2006
Egle Marija Jakimaviciene
Janina Tutkuviene
Abstract
The study provides the body mass index (BMI), the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool Lithuanian children,
1986–2006. In the 2003–2006 more than 1,000 preschool 3–6 year old children from Vilnius (the capital of Lithuania)
were investigated according to the standard anthropometric methods. The prevalence of overweight (OW) and obesity
(OB) was estimated according to the cut-off points recommended by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF).
Recent data were compared with the data of preschool children from the 1986 Vilnius study and with the data from the
other countries. The BMI of preschool children did not change significantly during the last 20 years, except for the statistically
significant BMI increment in 6 years old girls. The prevalence of OB among preschool Lithuanian children was
low (0.8%–3.7% in boys, and 0–1.9% in girls) and did not change significantly during 1986–2006. The prevalence of OW
was higher in preschool girls (10.7%–18.2%) in comparison with preschool boys (6.5%–12.4%). The significant increment
of the prevalence of OW was observed among the 6 years old girls from the 2006 study in comparison with the 1986
study. The possible socio-economic reasons of the defined trend in the BMI and prevalence of OW and OB among preschool
Lithuanian children are discussed in the paper
Keywords
body mass index; overweight; obesity; preschool children; Lithuania; Vilnius
Hrčak ID:
27299
URI
Publication date:
4.1.2007.
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