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)

Tiziana Grassi, Antonella De Donno, Francesco Bagordo, Francesca Serio, Prisco Piscitelli, Elisabetta Ceretti, Claudia Zani, Gaia C. V. Viola, Milena Villarini, Massimo Moretti, Sara Levorato, Annalaura Carducci, Marco Verani, Gabriele Donzelli, Sara Bonetta, Silvia Bonetta, Elisabetta Carraro, Silvia Bonizzoni, Alberto Bonetti and Umberto Gelatti
Additional contact information
Tiziana Grassi: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
Antonella De Donno: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
Francesco Bagordo: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
Francesca Serio: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce-Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
Prisco Piscitelli: Euro Mediterranean Scientific Biomedical Institute, Via Reali di Bulgaria, Mesagne (BR) 72023, Italy
Elisabetta Ceretti: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy
Claudia Zani: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy
Gaia C. V. Viola: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy
Milena Villarini: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, Perugia 06122, Italy
Massimo Moretti: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, Perugia 06122, Italy
Sara Levorato: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, Perugia 06122, Italy
Annalaura Carducci: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini 13, Pisa 56126, Italy
Marco Verani: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini 13, Pisa 56126, Italy
Gabriele Donzelli: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini 13, Pisa 56126, Italy
Sara Bonetta: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino 10126, Italy
Silvia Bonetta: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino 10126, Italy
Elisabetta Carraro: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino 10126, Italy
Silvia Bonizzoni: Comune di Brescia, Piazza Repubblica 1, Brescia 25100, Italy
Alberto Bonetti: Centro Servizi Multisettoriale e Tecnologico-CSMT Gestione S.c.a.r.l., via Branze, 45, Brescia 25123, Italy
Umberto Gelatti: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia 25123, Italy

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-11

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.

Keywords: body weight; overweight; obesity; children; socio-economic factors; MAPEC_LIFE study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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