Parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents: a national study.
OBJECTIVE
Overweight among adolescents is not only an important public health problem but also a problem affecting economic growth in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents at national level.


METHODS
This cross sectional study was conducted within the framework of the Comprehensive Study on Household Food Consumption Patterns and Nutritional Status of IR Iran during 2001-2003. In adolescents, anthropometric indices were defined based on the CDC 2000 cut-off points for age and gender-specific body mass index (BMI). Parental characteristics were collected by questionnaire. Among the 7158 participating households, data on 7908 adolescents aged 11-19 years (3750 girls and 4158 boys) was analyzed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of overweight (85-94th percentile) in boys and girls was 6.2%, and 8.7%, respectively. The prevalence of obesity (≥95th percentile) among boys and girls was similar (3.3%). Parents' weight status, father's job and parents' education showed significant association with weight status in adolescents. Logistic regression analysis showed that parental overweight and obesity, parental education and father's job were the main parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
Parental overweight and obesity, parental education and father's job seem to be the major parental determinants of overweight in Iranian adolescents. Future prevention programs must take these risk factors into account.
Nutrition Research Department, Research Institute and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.
Aazam
A
Doustmohammadian
Morteza
M
Abdollahi
Dolly
D
Bondarianzadeh
Anahita
A
Houshiarrad
Mitra
M
Abtahi