Childhood Obesity and its Relation to Cardiopulmonary Indicators in Mexican School Children

Abstract

Objective: Determine the relationship between obesity and abnormal cardiopulmonary parameters in school children. Materials and
Methods: The sample involved 78 children between five and 11 years of age: 47 males (60.3%) and 31 females (39.7%). All were enrolled
in a specific elementary school in the city of Pachuca (Mexico). Body mass (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat (GC), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR) and spirometry were evaluated. A chi-square (x2) statistical test, the odds ratio and Spearman’s rank-order correlation (rs) were used. Results: In all, 23.1% of the students who were evaluated were overweight and 29.5% were obese; 38.5% and 11.5% had a HR and BP above the normal parameters, in that order; 3.8% of the population in question had a HR above average and 11.5% showed abnormal spirometric values. A relationship was found between BMI and BF and WC, BF and WC, WC and HR, BF and BP, and HR and RF. Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight and obesity found in this study was high. Children who are overweight or obese might be at increased risk of experiencing cardiopulmonary abnormalities compared to children of normal weight. It is suggested that studies on this subject be continued with a broader sample.