Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity, Associated Behaviors, and Weight-related Perceptions in a National Survey of Primary School Children in China.

Juan ZHANG; Yi ZHAI; Xiao Qi FENG; Wei Rong LI; Yue Bin LYU; Thomas ASTELL-BURT; Peng Yu ZHAO; Xiao Ming SHI

Return

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity, Associated Behaviors, and Weight-related Perceptions in a National Survey of Primary School Children in China.

VernacularTitle:#
Author: Juan ZHANG ¹ ; Yi ZHAI ² ; Xiao Qi FENG ³ ; Wei Rong LI ⁴ ; Yue Bin LYU ⁵ ; Thomas ASTELL-BURT ⁶ ; Peng Yu ZHAO ¹ ; Xiao Ming SHI ⁵
Author Information

1. School of Public Health, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
2. Division of Non-Communicable Disease Control and Community Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
3. Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), School of Health and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
4. Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
5. National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China.
6. opulation Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), School of Health and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Behaviors; Children; Gender; Overweight and obesity; Weight perception
From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2018;31(1):1-11
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo in vestigate potential gender differences in the odds of overweight/obese, weight-related perceptions, and behaviors among Chinese school children.
METHODSHeight, weight, and a survey of weight-related perceptions and behaviors were measured in a nationally representative survey of 12,811 children in primary schools in China. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess gender differences, adjusting for confounders.
RESULTSBoys had higher odds of being overweight/obese compared to girls within both urban [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.30, 95% CI 2.00 to 2.65] and rural areas (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.20). Girls reported healthier diets (e.g., daily vegetables OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.85) whereas boys consumed fried food (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.38) and sugar-sweetened drinks more often (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.65). Gender differences included higher odds of boys perceiving themselves as overweight if they had more highly educated mothers (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.68), less educated fathers (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.99), and if they frequently consumed carbonated drinks (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.05).
CONCLUSIONChildhood obesity prevention in China should be gender-focused, particularly for boys who reported an unhealthier diet but were less likely to see they were fat, even though more boys were overweight or obese than girls.