title: Socio-Economic and Environmental Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Children Aged 6-8 Years Living in Five Italian Cities (the MAPEC_LIFE Cohort).
abstract: The prevalence of obesity among Italian children has reached such alarming levels as to require detailed studies of the causes of the phenomenon. A cross-sectional study was carried out in order to assess the weight status of 1164 Italian children aged 6-8 years (the Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for Supporting Public Health Policy (MAPEC_LIFE) cohort) and to identify any associations between selected socio-economic and environmental factors and overweight/obesity. The data were obtained by means of a questionnaire given to parents, and any associations were examined by binomial logistic regression analyses. Overweight was found to be positively associated with male gender, parents of non-Italian origin, and parents who smoke, and negatively associated with the parents' level of education and employment. In addition, the frequency of overweight varied in relation to the geographical area of residence, with a greater prevalence of overweight children in the cities of central-southern Italy. This study highlights the need to implement appropriate obesity prevention programs in Italy, which should include educational measures concerning lifestyle for parents from the earliest stages of their child's life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy. tiziana.grassi@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy. antonella.dedonno@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Donno
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy. francesco.bagordo@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bagordo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy. francesca.serio@unisalento.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serio
authors.affiliation: Euro Mediterranean Scientific Biomedical Institute, Via Reali di Bulgaria, Mesagne (BR) 72023, Italy. priscofreedom@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Prisco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piscitelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy. elisabetta.ceretti1@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy. claudia.zani@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy. gaia.viola@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Gaia C V
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, Perugia 06122, Italy. milena.villarini@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, Perugia 06122, Italy. massimo.moretti@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, Perugia 06122, Italy. sara.levorato@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levorato
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini 13, Pisa 56126, Italy. annalaura.carducci@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Annalaura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini 13, Pisa 56126, Italy. marco.verani@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini 13, Pisa 56126, Italy. gabriele.donzelli@for.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donzelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino 10126, Italy. sara.bonetta@unito.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino 10126, Italy. silvia.bonetta@unito.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino 10126, Italy. elisabetta.carraro@unito.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.affiliation: Comune di Brescia, Piazza Repubblica 1, Brescia 25100, Italy. sbonizzoni@comune.brescia.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonizzoni
authors.affiliation: Centro Servizi Multisettoriale e Tecnologico-CSMT Gestione S.c.a.r.l., via Branze, 45, Brescia 25123, Italy. a.bonetti@csmt.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy. umberto.gelatti@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gelatti
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: MAPEC_LIFE study; body weight; children; obesity; overweight; socio-economic factors