Prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-age children in Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State

Background: Obesity is now an emerging public health challenge in Nigeria, because of changing lifestyle. However, there are variations on the reported prevalence of obesity. This study determined the prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children in Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos.Materials and Method: A cross-sectional survey among children seen at primary schools in Mainland Local Government Area , Lagos State. Socio-demographic and anthropometric data were collected. BMI-for-age and sex Z-scores were determine and used to classify overweight/obese children.Results: A total of 340 pupils with a mean age of 8.61 ± 2.2 years were enrolled in the study. The majority were male (53.3%), from low socio-economic class (53.4%), and had low physical activity (58.89%). Thirty-four pupils (10.2%) were either overweight (6.9%) or obese (3.3%). The mean BMI (kg/m2) of the female pupils was 20.53 ± 1.51while that of the male pupils was 19.81 ± 1.43 (p = 0.002)Conclusion: The prevalence of Overweight/Obesity of 10.2% among the school pupils was relatively high confirming the reported emerging trend in low-income countries like Nigeria. The majority of the Pupils had low physical activity levels. Activities promoting weight loss are recommended to prevent the emergence of the obesity epidemic.