Overweight in preschool-age children: Medical examination data at school in southwestern France

Objective. To analyze anthropometric data in a sample of 3- to 4-year-old children examined by Mother and Infant Welfare in preschools in the Haute-Garonne area of France. Patients and methods. Two consecutive school- years (2007-2008 and 2008-2009) were analyzed. The samples studied included 5470 children the first year (mean age +/- standard deviation : 3.9 +/- 0.4 years) and 4088 children the second year (4.0 +/- 0.4 years). Prevalence of overweight (defined according to International Obesity Task Force references) and its association with various factors (sex, age, and school location) were studied. Results. Prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 8.4% for the 2 years, with a prevalence of obesity of 1.8% in 2007-2008 and of 1.6% in 2008-2009. Overweight was significantly more frequent in girls than in boys (10.2% vs. 6.8% in. 2007-2008 and 9.7% vs. 7.2% in 2008-2009) and in schools located in Priority Education Zones (ZEP) compared to schools in non-ZEP schools (17.9% vs. 7.1% in 2007-2008 and 15.7% vs. 7.2% in 2008-2009). Conclusion. This analysis will be repeated to follow the prevalence of overweight in children. These preliminary results confirm the need to focus on preventive actions, screening and care for overweight and obesity in underprivileged populations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.