HIGH PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT IN A CHILDREN POPULATION LIVING IN NAPLES (ITALY)

OBJECTIVE: The present study estimates the prevalence of obesity among ten-year old children living in Southern Italy and compares it with t he prevalence of obesity among children living in other western countr ies. METHODS: 110 children attending the 4th grade of a randomly selec ted primary school in Naples were studied in the 1992. Eighty-eight pe r cent of the total school population was examined: 52 girls, 58 boys; mean age = 9.6 years (SEM = +/-0.10). Each child underwent medical ex amination and anthropometric assessment. The percentile values for Bod y Mass Index (BMI = weight/height(2)) and triceps skinfolds thickness (mm) were calculated and compared to that of children of the same age and sex living in other countries. chosen from comparable studies avai lable in the literature. RESULTS: Percentile values for triceps skinfo lds thickness in Neapolitan children are similar to those reported in the other populations considered for comparison, however BMI values we re different. Children in Naples have the highest BMI values at the 50 th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentile. The prevalence of obesity among Ne apolitan children was estimated using as a cut-off, the BMI value at t he 90th percentile of each population considered for the comparison an d calculating the rate ratio with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Th e prevalence of obesity in Naples among girls, was 5.2 times (3.8-6.6 95% CI) as high as in France, 3.3 times (2.2-4.4) as high as in Hollan d, 1.7 times (0.9-2.5) as high as in USA, 2.5 times (1.7-3.4) as high as in Milan (Northern Italy): among boys it was 4.3 times (3.0-5.6) as high as in France, 4.0 times (2.7-5.2) as high as in Holland, 2.1 tim es (1.2-3.0) as high as in the USA, 2.5 times (1.7-3.4) as high as in Milan.