ABSTRACT

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-age children is a growing public health concern globally and in Nigeria, with significant implications for long-term health outcomes. This study investigated personal information of the children, the socio-economic status of their parents and the dietary pattern of children in community schools within Aba North Local Government Area (L.G.A) of Abia State. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving a sample of school-age children selected through a multistage sampling technique. Anthropometric measurements, including height and weight, were collected to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) and classify participants based on World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards. There are more Female (52%) than male pupils, All 100% of the pupils were Christians and (96.4%) lived with both parents, 53.6% of the pupils parents earned N40, 000 to N49, 000. 50.5% of the pupils skipped meals due to lack of time and inability to eat in the morning. Majority of the pupils (85.2%) engaged in physical activity in school. 88.8% of the pupils relied on borehole water as their primary source of drinking water, while a small proportion (0.5%) utilize wells and other sources (0.5%). Majority 98.5% of the pupils prepared their meals at home indicating a strong preference for self-prepared food, while 1.5% relied on external food sources, such as restaurants. The data indicated that 8.7% of children were severely stunted, 14.9% were moderately stunted and 76.5% were normal. For weight 4.8% of children were severely wasted, 59.6% were normal, 34.6% were overweight, and 1% were obese. 74.5% of the pupils sometimes ate snacks, 61.7% consumed fast and pastry foods, 58.7% drank tea or coffee, and 50.5% consumed soft drinks. (98.5) of the pupils consumed fruits and vegetables while 64.8% preferred citrus fruits. The chi square analysis showed that there was a significant association between family income and overweight/obesity with a P-value of (0.04).  This finding align with research suggesting that family income is linked to increased risk of obesity, potentially due to increased access to high calorie foods and sedentary lifestyle choices. Anthropometric measurements revealed a high prevalence of overweight and low prevalence of obesity, emphasizing nutritional and health disparities.