Risk Factors for Childhood and Teenage Obesity and Overweight During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Risk Factors for Childhood and Teenage Obesity and Overweight During the COVID-19 Pandemic 1. Dr. Suha Abdul kareem Mahdi Ali2. Dr. Kawther Mohammed Ragheb Ali3. Dr. Zainab salim kadhum 1.M.B.Ch. B/ C.A.B-FM, 2.M.B.Ch. B/ C.A.B-FM, 3.M.B.Ch. B/F.I.B.M.S-FM Abstarct Background: Malnutrition is defined as deficient or unbalanced nutrition resulting from a poor or excessive diet; it is one of the largest contributors to the global burden of disease, with more than one-third of childhood illnesses worldwide attributed to under nutrition, with poverty being one of the main causes. Objective: to assess the correlation between dietary practices, familial eating behaviors, lifestyles, and perceptions of eating habits with a likelihood of overweight and obesity in youngsters and teens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: In this cross-sectional study, the data of 1081 children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years for the period between first of May 2021 to the end of April 2022 were reviewd, of these data a convinient sample of 661 was obtained corresponding to those parents who self-reported the weight and height of their children for the assessment of nutritional status.. Results: It was found that 37.5% of children were presented with malnutrition due to excess in this study. Lifestyles such as sleeping, the recommended hours according to age and having familiar behaviors healthy decreased by 49.0% and 10.8% respectively with significant differences. Parents' perception of weight gain during the pandemic, the distortion of the nutritional status and the risk to the health of the nutritional status of their children increased 4.8, 8.5, and 3.8 times respectively, the risk of malnutrition due to excess in children and teenagers. Conclusion: the COVID-19 lockdown and the closure of schools could have affected the lifestyles. In addition, the role of parents in the perception of nutritional status and behaviors is fundamental family foods, as they could be a predictor of the risk of overweight and obesity.Keywords: Eating behaviors, COVID-19 pandemic, childhood and teenage obesity, Perception