Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study
Within the last decade, childhood obesity has become a serious problem, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research paper aimed to examine whether body mass index (BMI) was higher during the pandemic (2020–2022) than in the pre-pandemic period (2012/2013–2019) using trends related to sex,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/1/50 |
| _version_ | 1797358313897197568 |
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| author | Luka Androja Tonči Bavčević Anamarija Jurčev Savičević Damir Bavčević Jasna Ninčević Anita Buljan Diana Nonković Vitor Rodrigues Željka Karin |
| author_facet | Luka Androja Tonči Bavčević Anamarija Jurčev Savičević Damir Bavčević Jasna Ninčević Anita Buljan Diana Nonković Vitor Rodrigues Željka Karin |
| author_sort | Luka Androja |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Within the last decade, childhood obesity has become a serious problem, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research paper aimed to examine whether body mass index (BMI) was higher during the pandemic (2020–2022) than in the pre-pandemic period (2012/2013–2019) using trends related to sex, urban–rural area, and physical activity (PA). This study included data from physical examinations of an entire population of primary school children from Split-Dalmatia County (Croatia) over a period of 10 years. There were 103,804 students from the first, fifth, and eighth grades who participated in the analysis. During the pandemic, the BMI of all the students increased, except for eighth-grade girls. Generations of eighth graders have had significantly different BMIs throughout the past decade. We found that first graders were overweight and obese in urban areas, while in rural areas, this problem was experienced by upper grades. Girls were more overweight and obese in the first and eighth grades, but boys experienced this more in the fifth grade. Reduced PA influenced an increase in BMI in both sexes, especially in girls. During the pandemic, this situation became worse. This study could be useful to experts for the creation of new policies for Split-Dalmatia County and surrounding regions that are similar economically and culturally. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:00:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2bb7ed9699144ba0ac6df80cc8173217 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:00:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-2bb7ed9699144ba0ac6df80cc81732172024-01-10T15:05:21ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-12-011615010.3390/nu16010050Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective StudyLuka Androja0Tonči Bavčević1Anamarija Jurčev Savičević2Damir Bavčević3Jasna Ninčević4Anita Buljan5Diana Nonković6Vitor Rodrigues7Željka Karin8School of Medicine, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaSchool of Medicine, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaTeaching Institute for Public Health of Split-Dalmatia County, 21000 Split, CroatiaTeaching Institute for Public Health of Split-Dalmatia County, 21000 Split, CroatiaTeaching Institute for Public Health of Split-Dalmatia County, 21000 Split, CroatiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3030-222 Coimbra, PortugalSchool of Medicine, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaWithin the last decade, childhood obesity has become a serious problem, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research paper aimed to examine whether body mass index (BMI) was higher during the pandemic (2020–2022) than in the pre-pandemic period (2012/2013–2019) using trends related to sex, urban–rural area, and physical activity (PA). This study included data from physical examinations of an entire population of primary school children from Split-Dalmatia County (Croatia) over a period of 10 years. There were 103,804 students from the first, fifth, and eighth grades who participated in the analysis. During the pandemic, the BMI of all the students increased, except for eighth-grade girls. Generations of eighth graders have had significantly different BMIs throughout the past decade. We found that first graders were overweight and obese in urban areas, while in rural areas, this problem was experienced by upper grades. Girls were more overweight and obese in the first and eighth grades, but boys experienced this more in the fifth grade. Reduced PA influenced an increase in BMI in both sexes, especially in girls. During the pandemic, this situation became worse. This study could be useful to experts for the creation of new policies for Split-Dalmatia County and surrounding regions that are similar economically and culturally.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/1/50body mass indexoverweightobesityCOVID-19 pandemichealthchildren |
| spellingShingle | Luka Androja Tonči Bavčević Anamarija Jurčev Savičević Damir Bavčević Jasna Ninčević Anita Buljan Diana Nonković Vitor Rodrigues Željka Karin Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study Nutrients body mass index overweight obesity COVID-19 pandemic health children |
| title | Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study |
| title_full | Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study |
| title_fullStr | Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study |
| title_short | Body Mass Index Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Primary School Students in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia: A Retrospective Study |
| title_sort | body mass index trends before and during the covid 19 pandemic in primary school students in split dalmatia county croatia a retrospective study |
| topic | body mass index overweight obesity COVID-19 pandemic health children |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/1/50 |
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