| dc.description.abstract | The general causes of childhood overweight and obesity have been assumed to be high caloric and fat intake paired with little to no exercise. Evidence has also shown that excessive sugar intake especially in soft drinks and increased portion sizes are also major contributors in childhood overweight and obesity.
It is however well known that while still in the care of their parents, children eat that which is provided to them. And several studies found that parents’ dietary habits have a direct influence on dietary behaviors of their children regardless of demographic characteristics such as gender, age, socioeconomic status and country; however, the exact mechanism is still not clear. Therefore, when children are overweight or obese, a question is paused, how are the parents contributing to the development of overweight and obesity among the children? What role are they playing?
Aim and objective
This research project was directed towards investigating the dietary behaviors of both parents and children, and to provide evidence for the potential influence of parents’ dietary behaviors and practices on certain children’s eating habits which cause overweight and obesity.
Research Methods
Data was collected in March 2023 targeting a group of parents, teachers and children in affluent or private primary and secondary schools including Little Cranes Montessori in Bugolobi, The Northgreen School, GreenHill Academy Kibuli and Golden Stars Kindergarten.
Although measurements of weight, height and basal metabolism rate (BMI) were meant to be taken, the schools already had record of these from the pupils’ termly medical checkups and these records were used to access the anthropometric data to establish nutrition status using BMI for age z scores as recommended by the WHO for children 5-19 years.
Questionnaires were used for data collection to establish the children’s dietary practices, how much physical activity they were taking part in, nutritional knowledge level of parents and their influence on child food choices and lifestyle.
Results and recommendations
The data obtained from the study were analyzed to explore the relationship between parental factors and childhood obesity, including dietary habits, physical activity, and parental education level, among other factors. The results provide valuable insights into the role of parents in addressing childhood obesity and inform future interventions to prevent and manage the condition in this population.
A total of 120 children aged 5 to 12 years old from 3 primary schools in Kampala, Uganda, were included in the study. Of these, 47.5% (57) were female and 52.5%(63) were male. The prevalence of childhood overnutrition was found to be 10.8% (n=13), with all of the children classified as overweight. This nutrition status was obtained using BMI for age, as recommended by the world health organization for determining the nutrition status of children 5-19 years old. | en_US |
