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Author Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, PMB 21266, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria (Senbanjo IO); Pharmacology Department, Lagos State University College of Medicine, PMB 21266, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria & Academic Division of Child Health, Medical School (University of Nottingham), Derbyshire Children's Hospital, Uttoxeter Road, Derby DE22 3DT, UK (Oshikoya KA)
Corresponding Author: Idowu O. Senbanjo, FWACP, Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria (Tel: (+234) 08067777363; Email: senbanjo001@yahoo.com)
doi:10.1007/s12519-010-0209-9
Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles are known to predispose to overweight and obesity. These lifestyles are also known to track from childhood into adulthood with consequent cardiovascular and metabolic problems. This study aimed to describe the frequency of physical activity and the relationship between physical activity and body mass index of urban Nigerian school children and adolescents.
Methods: Children from seven schools in Abeokuta, southwest Nigeria were selected using a multi-staged random sampling technique.
Results: Of 570 children, 411 (72.1%) were involved in moderate to vigorous physical activities. Involvement in physical activity was higher in older children (P<0.001), males (P<0.001), and children of mothers with a higher educational level (P=0.03). Eleven (1.9%) children were overweight or obese whereas 163 (28.6%) were underweight. There were more children with underweight than overweight among the subject population with a high level of physical activity (35.6% vs. 4.4%, P=0.499).
Conclusions: A large proportion of the children in urban Nigeria participate in physical activity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is low but undernutrition is a major nutritional problem among these children.
Key words: adolescents; body mass index; children; Nigeria; physical activity
World J Pediatr 2010;6(3):217-222
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