Nutrition reviews
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Meta Analysis
Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents of the Indian subcontinent: a meta-analysis.
In order to examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood within the Indian subcontinent, a meta-analysis of studies was conducted. Within the data sets analyzed, six homogeneous statistical subgroups were observed and three levels of prevalence were discernible (low, intermediate, and high). The pooled estimates of the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children were 2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2-3%) to 6% (95% CI, 6-7%) for the low-prevalence group, 11% (95% CI, 11-12%) to 18% (95% CI, 17-18%) for the intermediate-prevalence group, and 23% (95% CI, 22-24%) to 36% (95% CI, 34-37%) for the high-prevalence group. ⋯ The intermediate group largely included urban children, whereas the high-prevalence group generally included affluent children within major urban centers. Most of the data sets reported the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in the 10-18-year age range. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among boys than girls, and had increased among urban dwellers during the last decade.