[Familial obesity as a predictor of child obesity].
BACKGROUND
Studies carried out in various parts of the world indicate that family obesity significantly affects the incidence of obesity in children. This is especially a characteristic of children whose both parents are obese.


METHODS
The study was conducted using a polling method. Questionnaires were filled out by parents and brothers and sisters, including their body height and weight. The collected data served as the basis for assessing the family nutritional status.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis of the results showed that obese children frequently have obese parents, brothers and sisters in regard to normal-weight children. Differences are statistically significant in relation to fathers (p=0.043), i.e. statistically obese schoolchildren have more frequently obese fathers than those of normal nutritional status. Other differences could not be considered significant (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Obese children have more often obese parents, brothers and sisters than normal-weight children. It was found that the nutritional status of moderately and extremely obese children was quite different from that of normal-weight children and that there was a statistically significant dependence between the nutritional status of children and their fathers.


CONCLUSIONS
This research showed that family obesity is a potential contributing factor to obesity of schoolchildren.
Mirilov
Jelena
J
Institut za zastitu zdravlja Novi Sad. miril@neobee.net
D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*