Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise
The aim of the study was to examine changes in obesity prevalence among primary school children in Serbia between 2015 and 2019 rounds of the national WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI-Serbia). Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2015 and 2019. The nationally represe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/5/409 |
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| author | Lidija Marković Višnja Đorđić Nebojša Trajković Predrag Božić Szabolcs Halaši Dragan Cvejić Sergej M. Ostojić |
| author_facet | Lidija Marković Višnja Đorđić Nebojša Trajković Predrag Božić Szabolcs Halaši Dragan Cvejić Sergej M. Ostojić |
| author_sort | Lidija Marković |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of the study was to examine changes in obesity prevalence among primary school children in Serbia between 2015 and 2019 rounds of the national WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI-Serbia). Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2015 and 2019. The nationally representative samples of primary school children were measured for body height and weight, following the COSI protocol. Body Mass Index was calculated, and the IOTF and WHO definitions were used to classify children as overweight or obese. Participants were children of both sexes aged 7.00–8.99 years (<i>n</i> = 6105). Significant differences in overweight (obesity included) prevalence between two COSI rounds were identified regardless of definitions applied. According to the WHO definitions, prevalence of overweight and obesity combined increased in 7–9-year-old children in Serbia from 30.7% in 2015 to 34.8% in 2019 (z = −3.309, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and according to the IOTF standards, the increase from 22.8% to 30% was registered (z = −6.08, <i>p</i> = 0.00). The childhood overweight/obesity rate is increasing in Serbia, which places monitoring and surveillance of children’s nutritional status high on the public health agenda. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:18:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6dbbc07dc9b5484980e3577e6166b831 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:18:08Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-6dbbc07dc9b5484980e3577e6166b8312023-11-21T20:15:16ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672021-05-018540910.3390/children8050409Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the RiseLidija Marković0Višnja Đorđić1Nebojša Trajković2Predrag Božić3Szabolcs Halaši4Dragan Cvejić5Sergej M. Ostojić6Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21101 Novi Sad, SerbiaFaculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21101 Novi Sad, SerbiaFaculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, SerbiaSerbian Institute of Sport and Sports Medicine, 11030 Beograd, SerbiaTeacher Training Faculty in the Hungarian Language in Subotica, University of Novi Sad, 24000 Subotica, SerbiaFaculty of Education in Sombor, University of Novi Sad, 25101 Sombor, SerbiaFaculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21101 Novi Sad, SerbiaThe aim of the study was to examine changes in obesity prevalence among primary school children in Serbia between 2015 and 2019 rounds of the national WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI-Serbia). Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2015 and 2019. The nationally representative samples of primary school children were measured for body height and weight, following the COSI protocol. Body Mass Index was calculated, and the IOTF and WHO definitions were used to classify children as overweight or obese. Participants were children of both sexes aged 7.00–8.99 years (<i>n</i> = 6105). Significant differences in overweight (obesity included) prevalence between two COSI rounds were identified regardless of definitions applied. According to the WHO definitions, prevalence of overweight and obesity combined increased in 7–9-year-old children in Serbia from 30.7% in 2015 to 34.8% in 2019 (z = −3.309, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and according to the IOTF standards, the increase from 22.8% to 30% was registered (z = −6.08, <i>p</i> = 0.00). The childhood overweight/obesity rate is increasing in Serbia, which places monitoring and surveillance of children’s nutritional status high on the public health agenda.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/5/409childhood obesityoverweightSerbiaWHO definitionsIOTF definitions |
| spellingShingle | Lidija Marković Višnja Đorđić Nebojša Trajković Predrag Božić Szabolcs Halaši Dragan Cvejić Sergej M. Ostojić Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise Children childhood obesity overweight Serbia WHO definitions IOTF definitions |
| title | Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise |
| title_full | Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise |
| title_fullStr | Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise |
| title_short | Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise |
| title_sort | childhood obesity in serbia on the rise |
| topic | childhood obesity overweight Serbia WHO definitions IOTF definitions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/5/409 |
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