Pnm-8: The Relation between Birth Weight and Obesity in Iranian Primary School Children

Background: In developed countries, overweight and obesity in children and adults is considered as basic problems. Several surveys show increasing trend of childhood obesity in developing countries, particularly in the Middle East and because of its risky role on people’s health, researchers aimed to assess the relations between birth weight and BMI in primary school children of Rasht/Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a case-control study which was performed in8primary schools of Rasht. 320 samples including 80 in case group (BMI ≥ 85th percentile for ageandsex) and 240 in control group (BMI= 5th-85- th percentile for age and sex) were selected. Data gathering tool were questionnaires, scales and tape meter. Data were analyzed statistically by Chi-square, Mann- Whitney and Stepwise Multivariate Regression tests. Results: Findings showed that mean and standard deviation of birth weight (g) in groups by Mann-Whitney test were statistically significant (p=0.000). Multi variate regression analysis indicated that birth weight, age, exclusive breast feeding and meal have significant effects on body mass index. Conclusion: According to results, identifying children at risk for adolescent obesity provides physicians with an opportunity for earlier intervention with the goal of limiting the progression of abnormal weight gain.