Abstract

In Argentina there is little information available about overweight/obesity in schoolchildren. The aims of this study are to analyze the prevalence of overweight/obesity and to determine the factors with preventive value in schoolchildren in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina. This is a prevalence study based on a mixed probability sampling. A total of 1,645 students, aged 6 to 11 years, were interviewed with their parents. The nutritional diagnosis of overweight and obesity was established using body mass index, according to the criteria of the International Obesity Task Force. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was high: 25.6% (IC95%: 23.5; 27.7) and 13.8% (IC95%: 12.1; 15.5) respectively; these percentages are similar to national results and higher than those found in studies from other provinces and other Latin American countries. A prediction model was constructed using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, considering the overweight as the dependent variable. The final model included as variables: having one sibling or being an only child, maintaining a high level of consumption of fast foods, and maintaining a high level of consumption of soft drinks.