Persistence of Overweight and Obesity in Schoolchildren in Northern Mexico: A Comparative Study of two Independent Cohorts Evaluated Over Eleven Years
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29105/rce-fod.v21i2.199Keywords:
obesidad, niños, sobrepeso, estilo de vida, salud publica, actividad motoraAbstract
Childhood obesity is one of the leading public health challenges worldwide because of its high prevalence and its long-term impact on health across the life course. This study aimed to analyze changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school children from an urban area in northern Mexico by comparing two independent cohorts assessed in 2014 and 2025. An observational, analytical, comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted in 757 schoolchildren (382 in 2014 and 375 in 2025). Nutritional status was classified according to age- and sex-specific body mass index criteria, and differences between cohorts were evaluated using Pearson's chi-square test. The prevalence of excess weight increased from 39.1% in 2014 to 41.8% in 2025, representing an absolute increase of 2.7 percentage points; however, no statistically significant differences were observed between cohorts (p > .05). This slight increase was mainly attributable to a higher prevalence of obesity, whereas overweight remained stable. The overlap of the 95% confidence intervals supported the epidemiological stability of excess weight over the study period. These findings indicate that childhood overweight and obesity have remained persistently high over the last eleven years, highlighting the need to strengthen public policies and school- and family-based interventions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and increasing physical activity from early childhood.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Liliana Aracely Enriquez-Del Castillo, Leandro Ruiz Labranderas de Armas, Cinthia Veronica Villegas-Balderrama, Luis Alberto Flores
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