The prevalence of central obesity in South African children and adolescents ranged from 2.0% to 41.0% and was associated with female gender, physical inactivity, dietary practices, and high socioeconomic status.
Systematic Review (n=35,001)
Central obesity is highly prevalent among South African children and adolescents and is driven by gender, physical inactivity, and socioeconomic factors, highlighting the need for early lifestyle interventions to prevent cardiometabolic diseases.
Background: Central obesity in children is a global health concern associated with cardiovascular risk factors. In 2019 the World Obesity Federation predicted that in 2025, 206 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 will be obese, and the number is estimated to reach 254 million by 2030. There is limited literature on the factors that are associated with the development of central obesity in children. We report a systematic review, aimed to describe the current literature on determinants of central obesity and its associated health outcomes in children and adolescents in the South African population. Methods: We searched for peer-reviewed studies in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct search engines, and about seven studies were included. This systematic review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (Registration number: CRD42023457012). This systematic review was conducted and reported according to an updated version of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. The quality of the included studies was assessed by following guidelines from the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The method considered three main domains: selection, comparability, and outcome across different study designs. Results: The prevalence of central obesity in children and adolescents by waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ranged from 2.0 to 41.0%; waist-to-hip WHR ranged from 10 to 25%; waist circumference (WC) ranged from 9 to 35%. Central obesity was associated with age, physical inactivity, gender socio, and demographic profiles of the household. Central obesity in children was associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental health issues. Conclusion: Central obesity in children and adolescents was determined by gender, pubertal development, and age of the parents, households with high socioeconomic status, dietary practices, and overweight/obesity. Given the high prevalence of central obesity in children which can ultimately result in cardiometabolic diseases, cardiovascular risk factors, and mental health issues. This highlights the need for systems, jointly initiated by healthcare providers, policymakers, and the general society aimed at reducing the burden of central obesity such as introducing children and adolescents to health-promoting lifestyles.
Ntimana et al. (Tue,) conducted a systematic review in Central obesity (n=35,001). Risk factors for central obesity (gender, physical inactivity, diet, socioeconomic status) vs. Unexposed or reference groups was evaluated on Prevalence of central obesity. The prevalence of central obesity in South African children and adolescents ranged from 2.0% to 41.0% and was associated with female gender, physical inactivity, dietary practices, and high socioeconomic status.