title: Ten-year secular trend of overweight and obesity in school children in south-eastern Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the trend in prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren from south-eastern Poland over a 10-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected primary schools. In total, 4,248 children (2,182 boys and 2,066 girls), mean age 10.5±2.4 years, were examined in 1998, and 2,412 children (1,184 boys and 1,228 girls), mean age 10.5±2.3 years in 2008. In each school the entire population was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2008, the prevalence of overweight in girls was 13.3% and obesity 7.7%, compared to 12.0% and 10.1% in 1998. The decrease in obesity prevalence was statistically significant. In boys, the prevalence of overweight in 2008 was 14.2% and obesity 6.4%, compared to 10.5% and 6.8% in 1998. The increase in overweight prevalence among boys was statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A trend toward stabilization of the prevalence of overweight and obesity was noted in school children from south-eastern Poland between 1998-2008. The declining prevalence of obesity in girls and increased prevalence of overweight in boys demonstrates that in this age group of children the secular trend is gender dependent.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Poland.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.affiliation: Institute of Statistics, Department of Instrumental Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klimek
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Telega
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Endoscopy, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Filip
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Małecka-Tendera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence