Prevalence and Determinant Factors of Overweight and Obesity

Background Childhood obesity and its related adverse health effects have become major public health problems in developing countries. The prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight and their predictors are not well documented in the developing countries, especially in Ethiopia. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinant factors of overweight and obesity among aged 3-5 years old children in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in an urban locality called Hawassa City from February to March, 2012. Weight and height of the study children were measured and the dietary habits, physical activity and socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects were collected using a structured interview questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of obesity and overweight. Results Out of 358 participants, 50.6 % were girls while 49.4 % were boys with mean (±SD) age were 48.8±9 months