Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity,Associated Behaviors,and Weight-related Perceptions in a National Survey of Primary School Children in China

摘要

Objective To in vestigate potential gender differences in the odds of overweight/obese,weight-related perceptions,and behaviors among Chinese school children.Methods Height,weight,and a survey of weight-related perceptions and behaviors were measured in a nationally representative survey of 12,811 children in primary schools in China.Logistic regression analyses were used to assess gender differences,adjusting for confounders.Results Boys had higher odds of being overweight/obese compared to girls within both urban [adjusted odds ratio(OR) 2.30,95% CI 2.00 to 2.65] and rural areas(OR = 1.85,95% CI 1.55 to 2.20).Girls reported healthier diets(e.g.,daily vegetables OR = 0.79,95% CI 0.73 to 0.85) whereas boys consumed fried food(OR = 1.21,95% CI 1.06 to 1.38) and sugar-sweetened drinks more often(OR = 1.49,95% CI 1.34 to 1.65).Gender differences included higher odds of boys perceiving themselves as overweight if they had more highly educated mothers(OR = 1.35,95% CI 1.09 to 1.68),less educated fathers(OR = 0.79,95% CI 0.63 to 0.99),and if they frequently consumed carbonated drinks(OR = 1.48,95% CI 1.07 to 2.05).Conclusion Childhood obesity prevention in China should be gender-focused,particularly for boys who reported an unhealthier diet but were less likely to see they were fat,even though more boys were overweight or obese than girls.