Sobrepeso y obesidad en escolares del Guayas (Ecuador) según la referencia WHO 2007 y local, 2024.

Abstract

Faced with the growing global challenge of childhood obesity, this analysis focuses on evaluating the nutritional status of school children in the Guayas Province, Ecuador. Rapid physical and childhood development, between 6 and 12 years of age, requires a comprehensive analysis of nutritional growth and development. To compare the nutritional status of 635 children (342 males and 293 females) using two reference criteria: national norms and WHO guidelines. Retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional observational approach, analyzing data on weight, height and body mass index (BMI) from a database of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). Anthropometric indicators were determined and classified according to national and WHO criteria, using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 software. The concordance between the references was evaluated using the Kappa index. There are significant differences in the BMI indicators between the national and WHO references, with a higher prevalence of obesity and thinness according to the national standard. In men, there was a decrease in overweight and an increase in morbid obesity, while in women, morbid obesity and thinness increased. This study highlights the need to adjust nutritional policies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of childhood obesity in Ecuador. The incidence of obesity and overweight in school-aged children in Guayas has increased significantly. However, few studies have evaluated in detail the current rates, associated factors, and their longterm implications. Keywords: Nutritional status; Child; Ecuador; WHO; Obesity; Overweight.