ABSTRACT
Background: The issue of underweight as well as overweight/obesity could be considered as a progressive breakthrough in the arena of the public health and health concerns of the children, as bodyweight problems affected every area of their lives, be it physical, psychological or social. The change in eating habits, declining activity level and changes in lifestyle in urbanizing countries had led to the altered growth pattern of school-going children worldwide. The dual burden in terms of malnutrition and overweight problems in the developing countries was an issue of particular concern where the socio-economic inequalities, changes in food habits, low awareness of good healthy life choices had increased the risk in society. It was necessary to determine the prevalence and related effects of bodyweight issues in early childhood in order to design interventions and implement school-based health programs in target populations.
Objective: The goal of the study is to get the overall prevalence of bodyweight problems and an analysis of demographic, life style and socio economic factors related to the problem among primary school children.
Methods: This was an epidemiological cross-sectional study conducted in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad between June 2024 and May 2025. The strata within the study population, a group of 110 primary schoolchildren, ages 6 to 12 years, were identified using the stratified random sampling method to make sure that representatives of diverse socio-economic backgrounds were most likely to be interviewed. Standardized protocols were used to anthropometric measurements that would include height and weight with measurements leading to Body Mass Index (BMI) estimation. Children were categorized as underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese based on the BMI-for-age percentiles of the World Health Organization (WHO) charts. The socio-demographic characteristics as well as dietary habits, physical activity patterns, screen time, and parental education and occupation were N data-gathered via structured questionnaire that was administered by the parent or the guardians. Descriptive and inferential statistics were also used in the analysis; chi-square tests and logistic regression identified links between bodyweight categories and the possible risk factors.
Results: The prevalence rate of bodyweight issues was identified to be 42.7 in total. The described sample included 18.2 percent of underweight individuals, 51.8 percent who were normal weight, 17.3 percent overweight, and 12.7 percent obese. There was a prevalence of overweight and obesity which was high among children in the private schools than those who attended government schools (p < 0.05). The factors of sedentary lifestyle, especially the daily use of screens on a daily basis over two hours, significantly correlated with overweight/obesity (p = 0.01). Children who belonged to low-income families and where the education level of the parents was low had a greater possibility of being underweight (p < 0.05). It was revealed that regular use of sweets, fast food and carbonated beverages were positively correlated with overweight but the intake of fruits and vegetables did not reach the minimum replenishment and was correlated with underweight and overweight levels. Logistic regression examination demonstrated that high screen time (OR =2.3, 95% CI: 1.1 4.8), low physical activity (OR = 1.9, 95 percent CI: 1.0-3.6) and high junk food intake (OR = 2.6, 95 percent CI: 1.3 5.1) were independent variables in determining overweight/obesity, whereas low household income (OR = 2.8, 95 percent CI: 1.4 5.
Conclusion: The paper has concluded that both under and over nutrition were a significant health challenge because the prevalence of bodyweight issues in primary schoolchildren was very high. Some of the most important factors were socio-economic factors, the kind of diet and sedentary lifestyles. The findings highlighted the fact that integrated school- and community-based interventions that support balanced nutrition, encourage physical activity and awareness among parents is expected to be a top priority to overcome the dual burden of malnutrition and obesity among children.
Keywords: Bodyweight problems, underweight, overweight, obesity, primary schoolchildren, prevalence, risk factors, Pakistan, BMI-for-age, childhood nutrition.