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Background: Underweight, overweight and obesity are one of the biggest issues of the 21st century. Small and medium income countries are particularly affected by these risks. Therefore, it is surprising that the last study on the situation in Pakistan was conducted 10 years ago. An update on the BMI of Pakistani students and possible reasons is therefore highly needed. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of body mass index (BMI) among 4,201 Pakistani students. The results were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis to explore the association between BMI and various demographic and family-level factors, elucidating weight status. Results: One in five children in the study exhibited underweight (23%), while overweight and obesity were diagnosed in 5.5% and 5.6% of Pakistani schoolchildren, respectively. Significant associations were found between weight status and socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, school type, age, and family-level factors including the number of siblings and parents' job nature. However, neither educational status nor parental income showed significant effects on the risks of underweight, overweight, or obesity. Conclusions: The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in Pakistan surpasses that of many other countries, with only 65% of children achieving a normal BMI status. Particularly concerning is the worsening situation regarding underweight. However, these findings provide valuable insights for establishing targeted intervention programs aimed at improving nutrition and increasing physical activity, especially among vulnerable student groups.
Tanveer et al. (Sat,) studied this question.