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Research in Childhood Obesity

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Children's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 July 2023) | Viewed by 2495

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation Research Focus Area, School of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
Interests: body composition; malnutrition; obesity; physical activity; physical fitness; sedentary behavior; metabolic syndromes; childhood

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in both developed and developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined overweight and obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. The body mass index (BMI) is employed as a proxy measure of fat, whereby a BMI over 25 is considered overweight, a BMI over 30, above the 95th percentile of body mass index (BMI) for age, is considered obese or overweight, and “at risk for overweight” is classed as a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile for age. It is well established that overweight and obese children are likely to remain obese into adulthood, and are more likely to develop non-communicable diseases due to lifestyle, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, at a younger age. Although data exist regarding obesity in developed countries, gaps still exist in the knowledge for low- and middle-income countries regarding childhood obesity data and scientifically based intervention programs.

This Special Issue aims to improve our understanding of obesity in children and adolescents. We welcome original research, literature reviews, and critical commentaries on any aspect of obesity during childhood (5–18 years, as defined by WHO). This can include studies that aim to clarify the interrelationship between body composition, academic performance, physical activity, sedentary time (screen time/TV viewing), physical fitness, social correlates of physical activity, metabolic risk factors, and the influence of these factors on obesity. Additionally, we will welcome intervention studies on childhood obesity.

Prof. Dr. Makama Andries Monyeki
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • body composition
  • childhood
  • overweight
  • obesity
  • sedentary behaviour
  • physical activity
  • physical fitness

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 439 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Obesity on the Fitness Performance of School-Aged Children Living in Rural Areas—The West Attica Project
by Charilaos Tsolakis, Evgenia D. Cherouveim, Apostolos Zacharias Skouras, Dimitrios Antonakis-Karamintzas, Cara Czvekus, Panagiotis Halvatsiotis, Olga Savvidou and Panagiotis Koulouvaris
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11476; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811476 - 12 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2190
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the relationship of body mass index (BMI) with muscle and cardiorespiratory fitness in children living within rural areas (regional unit of West Attica) in Greece. Participants included 399 students (187 boys, 212 girls), ages 8–12 years old, and [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the relationship of body mass index (BMI) with muscle and cardiorespiratory fitness in children living within rural areas (regional unit of West Attica) in Greece. Participants included 399 students (187 boys, 212 girls), ages 8–12 years old, and were evaluated in physical performance tests. The point prevalence of overweight and obesity was 21.39% and 26.20% in boys, and 19.90% and 23.79% in girls. Significant differences were observed in all physical performance tests (handgrip, long jump, shuttle run, trunk flexors, and extensors endurance) between normal weight and obese participants. BMI was positively correlated with handgrip (r = 0.442−0.462, p < 0.001). There was a negative association with long jump (r = −0.206, p < 0.001), 20 m shuttle run (r = −0.394, p < 0.001), trunk flexors (r = −0.403, p < 0.001) and trunk extensors endurance (r = −0.280, p < 0.001). The regression analysis showed that 20–30% of the overall variation for physical performance assessments could be accounted for by BMI, age, and sex. With the exception of the long jump and the endurance of the trunk extensors, BMI alone may explain more than 10% of the outcome of most tests. This study highlights the determinant of BMI on muscle and cardiorespiratory fitness. The management of obesity should begin early in childhood to prevent adult chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research in Childhood Obesity)
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