Socio-economic Determinants Factors of Overweight and Obesity among Saudi Children

Background: In recent decades obesity has emerged as a serious health issue among adolescents in developed and developing countries. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate relationship between Socio-economic Status (SES) and obesity among adolescents in both urban and rural areas of Saudi. Methodology: Cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 using a multistage randomization method. It surveyed 1139 adolescents, 447 from rural areas and 692 from urban districts of Riyadh region in Saudi Arabia. Results: Male adolescents living in households which had a domestic driver were at a significantly higher risk of being obese in both the urban (p=0.02) and rural areas (p<0.001). Urban females living in a medium-income household are at the risks of overweight (p=0.02) and obesity (P<0.01). The risk of obesity was almost 11-times higher for females living in households which had a driver (p=0.01). Owning a computer was associated with an increased risk of overweight among urban adolescent females (p=0.01). Conclusion: Overweight and obesity now represent a national health crisis threatening adolescents in particular. An immediate action is indeed important to fight against this serious health issue among this age group.