The obesity prevalence among students between the ages of 5 and 19 in Kutahya.

AIM To determine the prevalence of obesity among students between the ages of 5 and 19 in Kutahya, and to determine the factors associated with obesity prevalence. MATERIALS AND METHODS The population in the survey was formed of students between the ages of 5 and 19 in the schools of Kutahya. Within the scope of this survey, obesity was evaluated in accordance with the percentile values indicated in a study on the body weight and height, head circumference, and body mass index reference values of Turkish children that was published in 2008. RESULTS It was determined that 6.5% of the students were obese, 7.8% of them were overweight, and 7.8% of them were underweight. When the variables of age, sex, and school district were controlled, it was seen that obesity prevalence among students studying at private schools was 2.03 times higher than among students studying at public schools (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION It is seen that, in the efforts to reduce childhood obesity, private schools should be considered as a risk factor and the obesity prevalence at private schools should be analyzed in further studies.