Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Bahraini adolescents: a comparison between three different sets of criteria.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Bahraini adolescents using three different sets of criteria/standards.


METHODS
Cross-sectional prevalence study.


METHODS
Intermediate and secondary schools in Bahrain.


METHODS
The study included a population-representative sample of 506 Bahraini students (249 males and 257 females) between 12 and 17 y of age. The sample was selected using multistage stratified random sampling technique.


METHODS
Anthropometric measurements including weight, height and triceps and subscapular skinfolds were taken on the adolescents. Age was verified against school records. To minimize inter-observer error, weight and height were taken by one person while skinfold was taken by two trained persons (one for each sex).


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of obesity among Bahraini boys and girls was high, especially in girls. Obesity was highest (21% in males and 35% in females) when the WHO recommended criteria of BMI for age and skinfolds for age percentiles were applied and lowest (15% in boys and 18% in girls) when the age and sex specific BMI cut-off values of Cole et al were used. Compared with those of WHO criteria, estimates of overweight and obesity prevalence obtained with Must et al and Cole et al were generally close.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data revealed a much higher prevalence rate of obesity in the Bahraini adolescent population than was previously reported, especially among girls. The BMI reference values of Must et al and that of Cole et al gave relatively similar estimates and appear to be more practical for use in surveys aimed at estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents than the WHO recommended composite criteria.
Al-Sendi
A M
AM
Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome, Italy.
Shetty
P
P
Musaiger
A O
AO
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D001445:Bahrain / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012015:Reference Standards; D012016:Reference Values; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D014944:World Health Organization