Assessing The Relationship Between Childhood Obesity And Lifestyle Factors Among Pediatric Populations

Abstract

Background: Obesity in childhood has become one of the topmost cultural issues among the population and its prevalence is continually growing and being attributed to lifestyle modification habits which are all modifiable like diet, physical inactivity and poor sedentary habits. Objective: This research will evaluate the correlation between childhood obesity and lifestyle among the pediatric groups. Methodology: The analytical design used was a cross-sectional study that involved pediatric age groups (6-17 years). Structured questionnaires on dietary patterns, physical activity and screen time as well as anthropometric measurements such as body mass index (BMI) were used to collect the data. Statists were used to determine correlations between lifestyle variables and obesity. Findings: The findings revealed that there was a significant positive correlation among obesity and high screen time (>3 hours/day) (p < 0.01), and an energy-dense food intake (p < 0.05). On the other hand, habitual exercise (here 60 minutes or more a day) showed negative correlations with the prevalence of obesity. About a quarter of the respondents were considered overweight or obese. Conclusion: Children who eat these diets are at risk because lifestyle factors are critical in causing obesity in children, especially sedentary lifestyles. There should be physical activity and nutrition interventions that would decrease the risk of obesity in children.