Association of preschool children behavior and emotional problems with the parenting behavior of both parents

BACKGROUND Parental behaviors are key in shaping children’s psychological and behavioral development,crucial for early identification and prevention of mental health issues,reducing psychological trauma in childhood.AIM To investigate the relationship between parenting behaviors and behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.METHODS From October 2017 to May 2018,7 kindergartens in Ma’anshan City were selected to conduct a parent self-filled questionnaire-Health Development Survey of Preschool Children.Children’s Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire(Parent Version)was applied to measures the children’s behavioral and emotional performance.Parenting behavior was evaluated using the Parental Behavior Inventory.Binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the detection rate of preschool children’s behavior and emotional problems and their parenting behaviors.RESULTS High level of parental support/participation was negatively correlated with conduct problems,abnormal hyperactivity,abnormal total difficulty scores and abnormal prosocial behavior problems.High level of maternal support/participation was negatively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms and abnormal peer interaction in children.High level of parental hostility/coercion was positively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms,abnormal conduct problems,abnormal hyperactivity,abnormal peer interaction,and abnormal total difficulty scores in children(all P<0.05).Moreover,paternal parenting behaviors had similarly effects on behavior and emotional problems of preschool children compared with maternal parenting behaviors(all P>0.05),after calculating ratio of odds ratio values.CONCLUSION Our study found that parenting behaviors are associated with behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.Overall,the more supportive or involved the parents are,the fewer behavioral and emotional problems the children experience;conversely,the more hostile or controlling the parents are,the more behavioral and emotional problems the children face.Moreover,the impact of fathers’parenting behaviors on preschool children’s behavior and emotions is no less significant than that of mothers’parenting behaviors.

Effect of lens surgery on health-related quality of life in preschool children with congenital ectopia lentis

AIM:To evaluate the effect of lens surgery on health-related quality of life(HRQoL)of preschool children with congenital ectopia lentis(CEL).METHODS:A prospective self-controlled study was conducted in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.Children aged from 5 to 7y whom were diagnosed with CEL and underwent phacoemulsification with scleral-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation and their parents were enrolled in this study.All of them completed the child and proxy(parental)PedsQL™4.0 before and after the surgery.Their preoperative scores were compared to their postoperative ones.Subgroup analyses were performed based on gender and preoperative bilateral presenting visual acuity of the children.RESULTS:Thirty-two children with CEL successfully underwent surgery without any complications,among whom 8 had monocular surgery and 24 had binocular surgery.Preoperative and postoperative questionnaires were completed by 32 child-parent pairs.Surgical intervention could significantly improve the vision of affected children(P<0.001).The medians of physical,psychosocial and total health scores self-reported by the children were 68.75(62.50,81.25),65.00(60.00,80.00)and 67.39(60.87,78.26)preoperatively and were 93.75(87.50,100.00),90.00(83.33,96.67)and 89.13(85.32,95.65)postoperatively.The preoperative scores of the affected children were significantly lower in all scales than age-matched healthy children(P<0.001).All the postoperative scores were significantly higher than the preoperative scores in affected children and their parents(P<0.001).In the physical functioning evaluation,the preoperative score reported by parents of girls was higher than parents of boys(P=0.041),and the postoperative score of girls was higher than that of boys(P=0.036).CONCLUSION:CEL is associated with significantly worse quality of life in preschool children.Surgical intervention can significantly improve the HRQoL in affected children from both personal and family perspective.

Influence of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments on preoperative anxiety of preschool-aged children undergoing surgery

BACKGROUND Preschoolers become anxious when they are about to undergo anesthesia and surgery,warranting the development of more appropriate and effective interventions.AIM To explore the effect of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments on preoperative anxiety and anesthesia induction compliance in preschool-aged children undergoing surgery.METHODS One hundred and sixteen preschool-aged children were selected and assigned to the drug(n=37),intervention(n=40),and control(n=39)groups.All the children received routine preoperative checkups and nursing before being transferred to the preoperative preparation room on the day of the operation.The drug group received 0.5 mg/kg midazolam and the intervention group treatment consisting of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments.The control group received no intervention.The modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale was used to evaluate the children’s anxiety level on the day before surgery(T0),before leaving the preoperative preparation room(T1),when entering the operating room(T2),and at anesthesia induction(T3).Compliance during anesthesia induction(T3)was evaluated using the Induction Compliance Checklist(ICC).Changes in mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),and respiratory rate(RR)were also recorded at each time point.RESULTS The anxiety scores of the three groups increased variously at T1 and T2.At T3,both the drug and intervention groups had similar anxiety scores,both of which were lower than those in the control group.At T1 and T2,MAP,HR,and RR of the three groups increased.The drug and control groups had significantly higher MAP and RR than the intervention group at T2.At T3,the MAP,HR,and RR of the drug group decreased and were significantly lower than those in the control group but were comparable to those in the intervention group.Both the drug and intervention groups had similar ICC scores and duration of anesthesia induction(T3),both of which were higher than those of the control group.CONCLUSION Combining static cartoons with dynamic virtual environments as effective as medication,specifically midazolam,in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear in preschool-aged children.This approach also improve their compliance during anesthesia induction and helped maintain their stable vital signs.

The Association of Overweight and Obesity with Blood Pressure among Chinese Children and Adolescents

Objective To examine the association between obesity and high blood pressure （BP） in Chinese children and adolescents. Methods Body mass index （BMI） and blood pressure measurements of 197 191 children aged 7-17 years were obtained from a Chinese national survey in 2010. Obesity and high BP were defined according to the reference values for Chinese children. Adjusted odds ratios （ORs） and 95% confidence intervals （CIs） of different BMI categories for high BP, as well as the population attributable risk percent （PAR%）, were also calculated. Results The prevalence of high BP was 16.1% for boys and 12.9% for girls in 2010. Overweight and obese children had a significantly higher prevalence of high BP than non-overweight children in both boys and girls in each age group. ORs （95% CI） for high BP were 4.1 （3.9, 4.4） in obese boys and 4.0 （3.7, 4.3） in obese girls. The overall PAR% for high BP due to overweight and obesity was 14.4%. Conclusion Overweight and obese children have a significantly higher risk of high BP than non-overweight children. Eliminating overweight and obesity could reduce 14.4% of high BP cases.

Report on Childhood Obesity in China (4) Prevalence and Trends of Overweight and Obesity in Chinese Urban School-age Children and Adolescents, 1985-2000

Objective To describe the nationwide prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity, and their group variations and trends over the past 20 years in the Chinese urban population. Methods Data sets of boys and girls at the age of 7-18 years collected from the series of Chinese national surveillance on students＇ constitution and health （CNSSCH） between 1985 and 2000 were divided into five socioeconomic and demographic groups, while BMI classification reference proposed by Working Group on Obesity in China （WGOC） was used as screening reference to calculate the prevalence and trends of overweight/obesity in these groups. Results In 2000, the prevalence of obesity and overweight in boys aged 7-18 years was 11.3% and 6.5% in Beijing, 13.2% and 4.9% in Shanghai, 9.9% and 4.5% in coastal big cities, and 5.8% and 2.0% in coastal medium/small-sized cities, respectively, while the prevalence of of obesity and overweight in girls of the same age group was 8.2% and 3.7% in Beijing, 7.3% and 2.6% in Shanghai, 5.9% and 2.8% in coastal big cities, and 4.8% and 1.7% in coastal medium/small-sized cities, respectively. The prevalence of obesity was low in most of the inland cities at an early stage of epidemic overweight. The epidemic manifested a gradient distribution in groups, which was closely related to status （SES） of the study population. However, a dramatic and steady increasing trend was witnessed among all sex-age subgroups in the five urban groups, and such a trend was stronger in boys than in girls, and much stronger in children than in adolescents. Conclusion Although China is at an early stage of epidemic obesity by and large, the prevalence of obesity in her urban population, particularly in coastal big cities has reached the average level of developed countries. The increasing trend has been rapid since early 1990s, and the increments in obesity and overweight are exceptionally high. The prospect of epidemic obesity in China is in no way optimistic. Therefore, preventive program should be focused on the improvement of the balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, and interventions aimed at changing children＇s life styles.

Impacts of Types and Degree of Obesity on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Related Dyslipidemia in Chinese School-Age Children?

Objective To explore the impacts of types and degree of obesity on non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） and related lipids disturbance in Chinese school‐age children. Methods A total of 1 452 school‐age Children of 7 to 17 years were recruited in Beijing with representative cluster sampling method. Data of anthropometric measurements including weight, height and waist circumference were collected from March to May of 2007. Body mass index（BMI）was calculated. Blood samples were obtained and lipid profiles including triglyceride （TG）, total cholesterol （TC）, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL‐C） and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL‐C） were measured, while glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase （ALT） and glutamic‐oxalacetic transaminase （AST） were determined to evaluate liver function. The liver was also scanned by sonography, and abnormal hepatic sonograms were documented. NAFLD was diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by the Fatty Liver and Alcoholic Liver Disease Study Group under the Chinese Liver Disease Association. Analysis of covariance （ANOVA）, Chi‐square test for trend and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Results The dyslipidemia and ultrasonographic fatty liver deteriorated with the degree of obesity defined either by BMI or waist circumference. Compared with BMI, waist circumference contributed more to the development of dyslipidemia, fatty liver and NAFLD. The highest levels of TG, TC, LDL‐C, and lowest level of HDL‐C were seen in the mixed obese group followed by abdominal obese, peripheral obese and non‐obese ones. Adjusted for gender and age, the odds ratios （ORs） and their 95% confidence intervals of peripheral obesity, abdominal obesity and mixed obesity were 0, 10.93 （0.98‐121.96） and 79.16 （10.95‐572.44） for predicting NAFLD; 12.61 （1.24‐127.78）, 19.39 （5.23‐71.85）, and 93.21 （29.56‐293.90） for predicting ultrasonographic fatty liver; 1.78 （0.59‐5.44）, 3.01 （1.91‐4.77）, and 4.64 （3.52‐6.12） for predicting dyslipidemia, respectively compared with the non‐obese control group. The trend of hazards over groups was statistically significant （P0.01）. Conclusion The levels of lipid profile and the prevalence of NAFLD and dyslipidemia increased in parallel with the degree of obesity; As compared with the non‐obese control, the mixed obesity had the strongest association with NAFLD and dyslipidemia, followed by abdominal obesity and peripheral obesity in Chinese school‐age Children.

A Scan of Obesogenic Environments and a Spatial Inference of Obesity Prevalence in Chinese Children and Adolescents: Based on the Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey 2011 Data

Objective To identify the characteristics of Chinese obesogenic environments at a provincial level, infer a spatial distribution map of obesity prevalence in 31 provinces, and provide a foundation for development of policy to reduce obesity in children and adolescents. Methods After scanning obesity data on subjects aged 7-17 years from 12 provinces in the China Health and Nutrition Survey 2011 and environmental data on 31 provinces from the China Statistical Yearbook 2011 and other sources, we selected 12 predictors. We used the 12 surveyed provinces as a training sample to fit an analytical model with partial least squares regression and prioritized the 12 predictors using variable importance in projection. We also fitted a predictive model with Bayesian analysis. Results We identified characteristics of obesogenic environments. We fitted the predictive model with a deviance information criterion of 61.96 and with statistically significant（P 〈 0.05） parameter estimates of intercept [95% confidence interval（CI）： 329.10, 963.11], log（oil）（CI： 13.11, 20.30）, log（GDP）（CI： 3.05, 6.93）, log（media）（CI：-234.95,-89.61）, and log（washing-machine）（CI： 0.92, 5.07）. The total inferred average obesity prevalence among those aged 7-17 was 9.69% in 31 Chinese provinces in 2011. We also found obvious clustering in occurrences of obesity in northern and eastern provinces in the predicted map. Conclusion Given complexity of obesity in children and adolescents, concerted efforts are needed to reduce consumption of edible oils, increase consumption of vegetables, and strengthen nutrition, health, and physical activity education in Chinese schools. The northern and eastern regions are the key areas requiring intervention.

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity,Associated Behaviors,and Weight-related Perceptions in a National Survey of Primary School Children in China

Objective To in vestigate potential gender differences in the odds of overweight/obese, weight-related perceptions, and behaviors among Chinese school children. Methods Height, weight, and a survey of weight-related perceptions and behaviors were measured in a nationally representative survey of 12,811 children in primary schools in China. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess gender differences, adjusting for confounders. Results Boys had higher odds of being overweight/obese compared to girls within both urban [adjusted odds ratio （OR） 2.30, 95% CI 2.00 to 2.65] and rural areas （OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.20）. Girls reported healthier diets （e.g., daily vegetables OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.85） whereas boys consumed fried food （OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.38） and sugar-sweetened drinks more often （OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.65）. Gender differences included higher odds of boys perceiving themselves as overweight if they had more highly educated mothers （OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.68）, less educated fathers （OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.99）, and if they frequently consumed carbonated drinks （OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.05）. Conclusion Childhood obesity prevention in China should be gender-focused, particularly for boys who reported an unhealthier diet but were less likely to see they were fat, even though more boys were overweight or obese than girls.

The Influence of Secular Trends in Body Height and Weight on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Chinese Children and Adolescents

Objective To explore the influence of secular trends in body height and weight on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents. Methods The data were obtained from five cross-sectional Chinese National Surveys on Students＇ Constitution and Health. Overweight/obesity was defined as BMI-for-age Z-score of per the Wold Health Organization （WHO） reference values. Body height and weight for each sex and age were standardized to those reported in 1985 （standardized height＂ SHY, standardized weight： SWY） and for each sex and year at age 7 （standardized height： SHA; standardized weight： SWA） using the Z-score method. Results The prevalence of overweight/obesity in Chinese children was 20.2% among boys and 10.7% among girls in 2010 and increased continuously from 1985 to 2010. Among boys and girls of normal weight, SHY and SHA were significantly greater than SWY and SWA, respectively （P 〈 0.001）. Among boys and girls with overweight/obesity, SHY was significantly lower than SWY （P 〈 0.001）, and showed an obvious decreasing trend after age 12. SHA was lower than SWA among overweight boys aged 7-8 years and girls aged 7-9 years. SHY/SHW and SHA/SWA among normal-weight groups were greater than among overweight and obese groups （P 〈 0.001）. Conclusion The continuous increase in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Chinese children may be related to a rapid increase in body weight before age 9 and lack of secular increase in body height after age 12.

The Mediating Effect of Body Dissatisfaction in Association between Obesity and Dietary Behavior Changes for Weight Loss in Chinese Children

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the mediating effect of body dissatisfaction in correlation between obesity and dietary behavior changes for weight loss(DBCWL).Methods A total of 680 primary and middle school students were included in this study. Their body height, weight, and waistline were effectively measured, and they were also evaluated to assess their body dissatisfaction, perception of dietary behaviors, and DBCWL. The correlation among these factors was analyzed using mediating effect models.Results The prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity was significantly higher in males than in females(P < 0.05). Overweight/obesity, abdominal obesity, and body dissatisfaction significantly increased the risk for DBCWL(OR = 2.57, 2.77, and 1.95, respectively). Overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity significantly increased the risk for body dissatisfaction(OR = 6.00 and 4.70,respectively). Significant mediating effects of body dissatisfaction were observed in correlation between overweight/obesity and DBCWL and between abdominal obesity and DBCWL(OR = 2.20 and 1.92,respectively;P < 0.05), and the proportions of mediating effects among the total effects were 48.89% and 46.60%, respectively.Conclusion Body dissatisfaction might play an important mediating effect in association between DBCWL and obesity, which indicates that guiding children to correctly recognize their body might be more conducive than promoting obese children toward weight loss through dietary behavior changes.

Global research trends and hotspots in overweight/obese comorbid with depression among children and adolescents: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND Overweight/obesity combined with depression among children and adolescents(ODCA)is a global concern.The bidirectional relationship between depression and overweight/obesity often leads to their comorbidity.Childhood and adolescence represent critical periods for physical and psychological development,during which the comorbidity of overweight/obesity and depression may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes.AIM To evaluate the relationship between ODCA,we conduct a bibliometric analysis to aid in formulating prevention and treatment strategies.METHODS From 2004 to 2023,articles related to ODCA were selected using the Science Citation Index Expanded from the Web of Science Core Collection.Bibliometric analysis of relevant publications,including countries/regions,institutions,authors,journals,references,and keywords,was conducted using the online bibliometric analysis platforms,CiteSpace,VOSviewer,and bibliometrix.RESULTS Between 2004 and 2023,a total of 1573 articles were published on ODCA.The United States has made leading contributions in this field,with Harvard University emerging as the leading contributor in terms of research output,and Tanofsky being the most prolific author.The J Adolescent Health has shown significant activity in this domain.Based on the results of the keyword and reference analyses,inequality,adverse childhood experiences,and comorbidities have become hot topics in ODCA.Moreover,the impact of balancedrelated behavior and exploration of the biological mechanisms,including the potential role of key adipocytokines and lipokines,as well as inflammation in ODCA,have emerged as frontier topics.CONCLUSION The trend of a significant increase in ODCA publications is expected to continue.The research findings will contribute to elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms of ODCA and its prevention and treatment.

Effects of exercise training on glucose metabolism indicators and inflammatory markers in obese children and adolescents:A metaanalysis

BACKGROUND Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious problem,and the efficacy of exercise therapy for these patients is controversial.AIM To assess the efficacy of exercise training on overweight and obese children based on glucose metabolism indicators and inflammatory markers.METHODS The PubMed,Web of Science,and Embase databases were searched for randomized controlled trials related to exercise training and obese children until October 2023.The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software to evaluate the efficacy of exercise therapy on glucose metabolism indicators and inflammatory markers in obese children.RESULTS In total,1010 patients from 28 studies were included.Exercise therapy reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG)[standardized mean difference(SMD):-0.78;95%confidence interval(CI):-1.24 to-0.32,P=0.0008],fasting insulin(FINS)(SMD:-1.55;95%CI:-2.12 to-0.98,P<0.00001),homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)(SMD:-1.58;95%CI:-2.20 to-0.97,P<0.00001),interleukin-6(IL-6)(SMD:-1.31;95%CI:-2.07 to-0.55,P=0.0007),C-reactive protein(CRP)(SMD:-0.64;95%CI:-1.21 to-0.08,P=0.03),and leptin(SMD:-3.43;95%CI:-5.82 to-1.05,P=0.005)in overweight and obese children.Exercise training increased adiponectin levels(SMD:1.24;95%CI:0.30 to 2.18,P=0.01)but did not improve tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)levels(SMD:-0.80;95%CI:-1.77 to 0.18,P=0.11).CONCLUSION In summary,exercise therapy improves glucose metabolism by reducing levels of FBG,FINS,HOMA-IR,as well as improves inflammatory status by reducing levels of IL-6,CRP,leptin,and increasing levels of adiponectin in overweight and obese children.There was no statistically significant effect between exercise training and levels of TNF-α.Additional long-term trials should be conducted to explore this therapeutic perspective and confirm these results.

Telemedicine in the COVID-19 era:Taking care of children with obesity and diabetes mellitus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection was declared a pandemic in January 2020.Since then,several measures to limit virus transmission have been imposed;among them,home confinement has been the most severe,with drastic changes in the daily routines of the general population.The“stay at home”rule has impaired healthcare service access,and patients with chronic conditions were the most exposed to the negative effects of this limitation.There is strong evidence of the worsening of obesity and diabetes mellitus in children during this period.To overcome these issues,healthcare providers have changed their clinical practice to ensure follow-up visits and medical consultation though the use of telemedicine.Telemedicine,including telephone calls,videocalls,data platforms of shared telemedicine data platforms mitigated the negative effect of pandemic restrictions.Published evidence has documented good metabolic control and weight management outcomes in centers that performed extensive telemedicine services last year during the pandemic.This review discusses studies that investigated the use of telemedicine tools for the management of pediatric obesity and diabetes.

Parental perceptions and childhood overweight/obesity: A population-based study among school children in Japan

The lifestyle of children is primarily controlled by their parents, and that childhood obesity is related to family variables. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental perceptions on childhood obesity and their child’s overweight/obesity in Japan. The study subjects were 3168 school children (aged 9 or 10 years) and their parents in the town of Ina, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, between 2002 and 2009. Information regarding parental perceptions about childhood obesity and the lifestyle factors of their children was collected using self-administered questionnaires completed by the participants and their parents. Childhood over-weight was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force cutoffs. Parental perceptions on childhood obesity were significantly associated with their child’s overweight status. Specifically, low perceptions regarding childhood obesity significantly increased the odds ratio (OR) for the child’s overweight status (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.32 - 2.62). However, when the analysis was limited to children with both parents being overweight, there was no statistically significant difference between levels of parental perceptions and the overweight status of their children. Accordingly, the present study suggests that, when both parents are obese, not only is raising parental awareness important, but also encouraging parents to prevent themselves from becoming overweight, leads to improvements in the lifestyle habits of children, which may contribute to the prevention of childhood overweight.

Relationship between Authoritative Parenting Style and Preschool Children’s Emotion Regulation:A Moderated Mediation Model

An authoritative parenting style has been shown to promote children’s emotion regulation in European-American family studies.However,little is known about how sleep problems and the child’s sibling status in Chinese families affect this relationship.Based on family system theory,this study attempts to better understand the relationship between authoritative parenting style and emotion regulation.Mothers of preschool children in Chinese kindergartens completed questionnaires about their children’s sleep habits,their authoritative parenting styles,and children’s emotion regulation.A total of 531 children participated in this study.Results showed that authoritative parenting was positively associated with emotional regulation.Sleep problems mediated the effects of authoritative parenting style on emotion regulation.The child’s sibling status moderated the mediating effects of sleep problems in authoritative parenting and emotion regulation relationships.Specifically,the relationship between the authoritative parenting style and sleep problems was significant for only children,while birth order had no significant influence on the authoritative parenting style and sleep problems in two-child families.These findings suggest that a lowauthoritative parenting style predicts low emotion regulation through sleep problems,and this depends on the child’s sibling status,indicating that children without siblings may impair emotion regulation due to increased sleep problems.

Overweight and obesity among public and private primary school children in Nairobi, Kenya

Obesity is on the rise in developing countries, especially in urban areas. In this study, a cross-sectional study was conducted in two divisions in Nairobi province to determine the prevalence of and some risk factors associated with overweight and obesity among school children in Nairobi, Kenya. It involved 344 school children aged 9-14 years drawn from four randomly selected public and private primary schools. Weight and height were measured and body mass index was calculated. Nutrition status was determined using the World Health Organization age and gender specific BMI-for-age Z-scores (BAZ). The chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between overweight/obesity and selected socio-demographic characteristics. Complete anthropometric measurements were available for 321 children. Prevalence of combined overweight and obesity (BAZ > +1SD) was 19.0%, with prevalence being higher among girls (21.0%) than boys (16.9%) (p = 0.632). The prevalence among children in private schools was significantly higher (29.0%) than among those in public schools (11.5%) (p = 0.000). In addition, being a single child (p = 0.020), birth order (p = 0.017), mother’s occupation (p = 0.023) and type of residence (p = 0.028) were positively associated with overweight/obesity. The prevalence of overweight/obesity determined in this study is high and is a public health concern, with girls particularly at risk of becoming overweight.

Characteristics and Factors Associated with Obesity and Thinness among Children with Developmental Disorders

Obesity in childhood or adolescence has been recognized to be a risk factor for the onset of lifestyle-related diseases, not only in healthy children, but also in children with developmental disorders. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the characteristics of obesity and thinness as assessed by the body fat percentage among children with developmental disorders during certain growth periods. It was also designed to investigate those factors associated with obesity and thinness based on a lifestyle and behavioral questionnaire. The subjects included 260 children from 5 to 18 years old with developmental disorders. The results of the study showed that a decrease in thinness and increase in obesity with ageing exhibited more noticeable trends among those children with mental retardation. The factors associated with obesity in children with developmental disorders were characterized by the dietary content, eating behaviors, and food preferences particular to such children, as well as low physical activity and a family history of obesity. The results of this study suggested the importance of continuous guidance along with family participation in order to improve obesity among children with developmental disorders, while focusing on the characteristics of certain growth periods.

Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, and Physical Activity in School-age Children: an Urban and Rural Comparison in Valparaíso, Chile

This study analyze the relation between body composition, physical activity （PA）, and sex in Chilean children from rural and urban public educational institutions. The prevalence of obesity （according to BMI） was 30.88% in urban children and 28.93% in rural children. Central obesity presented mainly in the rural girls. Approximately 90% of the participants reported 〈7 h of PA/week, regardless of residential area. In addition, central fat was strongly associated with rural residence; the children reported lower PA levels, and they presented a higher prevalence of central fat. The results reflect the need to implement programs to improve PA conditions in the child urban-rural population.

Association of the Common Genetic Variant Upstream of INSIG2 Gene with Obesity Related Phenotypes in Chinese Children and Adolescents

Objective To study the association between the rs7566605 variant of INSIG2 and obesity-related phenotypes in Chinese children and adolescents. Methods The study sample consisted of two independent cohorts of Chinese children and adolescents. Anthropometric indices, lipids, blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin and percentage of fat mass were determined. PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed for genotyping the rs7566605 variant. Results In each of the two independent cohorts, no significant association was observed between rs7566605 and obesity under additive, dominant or recessive model. We also did not detect any difference in the genotype frequency between all the obese children and controls. Furthermore, we did not find evidence of an association between body composition indices and metabolic phenotypes in all children. However, the triglyceride level of CC homozygotes was significantly higher than that of GG＋GC genotypes in obese children （P=0.022）. Additionally, we observed a non-significant trend of severe obesity in a post-hoc test. Conclusion INSIG2 rs7566605 variant is not associated Chinese childhood obesity in two independent cohorts. Further study is needed to verify the effect of rs7566605 on triglyceride in obese children.

Tangled relationship between insulin resistance and microalbuminuria in children with obesity

Childhood obesity represents a complex disease with a well-known cardiometabolic burden including fatty liver,type 2 diabetes,metabolic syndrome,and cardiovascular disease.From a pathogenic point of view,insulin resistance(IR)represents the key factor underlying the spectrum of these obesity consequences.As observed in adults,recent data supported the occurrence of microalbuminuria(MA)as marker of early kidney dysfunction and its potential link with cardiometabolic factors also in children with obesity.In fact,a well-documented pathophysiological hypothesis both in adults and children supported an intimate correlation with the major feature of obesity such as IR through the influence of insulin on renal hemodynamics.Based on the clinical and prognostic relevance of this relationship in daily practice(including an increased risk of chronic kidney disease development overtime),more scientific attention needs to be paid to the evaluation of early kidney damage in children with obesity.In this paper,we attempt to address three debated questions regarding the intriguing liaison between IR and MA in children with obesity:(1)What is the prevalence of pediatric MA?(2)What is the state of art of MA in children with obesity?and(3)Is there a link between IR and MA in children with obesity?