[Prevalence of obesity and trends in cardiovascular risk factors among Spanish school children, 1992-2004: the Cuenca (Spain) study].
OBJECTIVE
The assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children from the province of Cuenca in 2004, and to examine changes in the main cardiovascular risk factors in school children from the city of Cuenca from 1992 through 2004.


METHODS
Cross sectional survey of 1166 schoolchildren 9-10 years old from 22 public schools of the province of Cuenca. We also analyzed data from 3 earlier, methodologically similar, cross-sectional surveys of school children from the city of Cuenca carried out in 1992, 1996 and 1998.


RESULTS
In 2004, among children aged 9-10 years from the province of Cuenca, 22.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 19.53-24.37) were overweight and 8.8% (95% CI, 7.16-10.50) were obese. From 1992 through 2004, among children aged 9-10 years from the city of Cuenca, we registered a 12.2% absolute increase in the prevalence of overweight or obesity among males, which did no reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Among women, changes in body mass index were of lower magnitude and with no statistical significance. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased (p < 0.05) in both sexes, with a greater decline in females. Among the latter, SBP decreased -9.22 mmHg (95% CI, -7.0 to -11.5) and DBP -5.9 mmHg (95% CI, -4.23 to -7.50). Non high density lipoproteins-cholesterol decreased among males (-18.1 mg/dl; 95% CI, -26.0 to -10.1 mg/dl) and among females (-23.7 mg/dl; 95% CI, -30.8 to -16.6 mg/dl). High density lipoproteins-cholesterol increased 6.3 mg/dl (95% CI, 2.6-10.0 mg/dl) in males and 5.1 mg/dl (95% CI, 1.9-8.2 mg/dl) in females. Triglycerides did not show substantial changes over the study period.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of overweight or obesity in schoolchildren of Cuenca is among the highest in Europe. From 1992 through 2004 in the city of Cuenca, frequency of overweight or obesity might have increased among males, while blood pressure and the lipid profile improved in both sexes.
Martínez Vizcaíno
Vicente
V
Centro de Estudios Sociosanitarios, Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca, España. vicente.martinez@uclm.es
Salcedo Aguilar
Fernando
F
Franquelo Gutiérrez
Ricardo
R
Torrijos Regidor
Rosana
R
Morant Sánchez
Alberto
A
Solera Martínez
Montserrat
M
Rodríguez Artalejo
Fernando
F
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D008055:Lipids