Overweight and obesity prevalence and trends in children and adolescents in Cyprus 2000-2010

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2010 and examine prevalence trends between 2000 and 2010 among school-aged children and adolescents in Cyprus. Methods: A representative cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2010. Anthropometric data were taken using standard methods from 3090 children. The IOTF cut-offs were used to define overweight and obese participants, and prevalence was compared with a previous representative study performed in 2000. Prevalences with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated and logistic regression models were used to estimate 10-year trends. Results: The overall prevalence of obesity was higher in 2010 (8.1% [95% CI: 7.1, 9.1]) compared to 2000 (5.9% [95% CI: 5.0, 6.8]), p = 0.002. The overall prevalence of overweight was also higher in 2010 (20.1% [95% CI: 18.7, 21.5]) compared to 2000 (16.5% [95% CI: 15.0, 18.0]), p < 0.001. The prevalence of obesity increased at a greater rate in school-aged boys (p = 0.017), and in rural areas (p = 0.001). In rural areas, high maternal education background is associated with a decreased odds for obesity; odds ratio 0.35 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.69), p = 0.003. Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents in Cyprus has increased substantially over a decade, mainly in rural areas and in school-aged boys. (C) 2013 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.