PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH REFERENCE TO OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Research Question: What influence does diet and physical activity have on the occurence of overweight and obesity in school aged children? Objectives: To study the diet and physical activity factors influencing overweight and obesity in school aged children. Study Design: Cross sectional Study. Settings: Field Practice area of Department of Community Medicine, LLRM Medical College, Meerut. Participants: 400 children between 5-14 years age group Statistical Analysis: Chi Square Test Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children was 9.8% and 3.7% respectively. Among dietary factors, a significant association was seen in the prevalence of overweight and obesity with consumption of >3 meals per day(P<0.001), habit of eating in between meals(P<0.05) and in having dinner as the heaviest meal of the day (P<0.02). Among physical activity factors, a significant association was seen in the prevalence of overweight and obesity with the habit of not playing outdoor games (P<0.001), not participating in household activities(P<0.001), using some vehicular transport to go to school (P<0.001) and watching T.V. for more than 3hrs/day(P