Elevated Risk of Overweight/Obesity-Related Markers and Low Muscular Fitness in Children Attending Public Schools in Chile

Mónica Suárez-Reyes, Rodrigo Fernández-Verdejo () and Gabriela Salazar
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Mónica Suárez-Reyes: Escuela de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170020, Chile
Rodrigo Fernández-Verdejo: Laboratorio de Fisiología del Ejercicio y Metabolismo (LABFEM), Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago 7501015, Chile
Gabriela Salazar: Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos (INTA), Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-10

Abstract: In Chile, children of low socioeconomic status usually attend public schools and have few opportunities to engage in healthy behaviors. This may increase their risk of overweight/obesity and low muscular fitness. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association between the school type attended with overweight/obesity-related markers and the muscular fitness of children in Chile. We included 1410 children (6–13 years old) attending public, subsidized, or private schools. Overweight/obesity-related markers included BMI Z-scores, waist circumference, and body fat percentage. Muscular fitness assessment included handgrip strength and standing long jump. The odds ratios [95% CI] of overweight/obesity, elevated waist circumference, elevated body fat, low handgrip strength, and low standing long jump were compared between school types. Compared with boys attending public schools, those attending subsidized or private schools had lower odds ratios of low handgrip strength (0.63 [0.42–0.94] and 0.44 [0.25–0.78], respectively). Girls attending subsidized schools, compared with those in public schools, had lower odds of overweight/obesity (0.63 [0.44–0.90]) and of having low handgrip strength (0.51 [0.34–0.78]). Compared with girls in public schools, those attending private schools had lower odds (vs. public schools) of overweight/obesity (0.45 [0.28–0.74]), of having elevated body fat (0.53 [0.29–0.96]), and of having low standing long jump (0.41 [0.21–0.77]). The elevated risk of overweight/obesity-related markers and lower muscular fitness in children, particularly girls, attending public schools increase their current and future disease risk. This suggests that childhood socioeconomic status plays a central role in determining disease risk. Health-promoting interventions specifically focused on children from disadvantaged contexts are required.

Keywords: socioeconomic level; childhood obesity; musculoskeletal health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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