Abstract

Author(s): Vázquez Sánchez, V1; Niebla Delgado, DM2; Marrero Rodríguez, FJ1; Ojeda, DA1; Gálvez Soler, JL1; Hernández Machado, D1

Introduction: Cuba have an increase of child obesity, however, it’s not frequently to study lifestyle variables of students with global overweight and their families, despite the importance of the parents role in the alimentary education of their children

Objective: To analyze the association between lifestyle’s of overweight and obese children and their families

Methods: A traversal study was developed, in students between nine and twelve years of four elementary schools of Havana. Their nutritional status was evaluated by anthropometry and a questionnaire with variables related with lifestyles was applied. The relatives of those students with global overweight that consented to participate voluntarily in the investigation were interviewed. The final sample is seventy nine people, forty students and thirty nine relatives. Were carried out contingency charts (2 x 2) with the statistical one exact of Fisher to determine the association between the variables of the lifestyle of the students and their relatives, with significance level p < 005.

Results and discussion: From the analyzed variables, only watch television more than two daily hours had significant association. The high percentages of not healthy alimentary preferences and sedentary life in students were accompanied by also high levels in their relatives.

Conclusions: These results confirm the influence of the family in the development of unhealthy lifestyles in overweight and obese children of the sample, living in obesogenic environment.