Association between obesity and behavioral/emotional disorders in primary school-aged children: a cross-sectional study
Abstract: Obesity in children
can increase the risks of various chronic diseases. Mental disorders associated
with obesity in children include: depression, anxiety, low self-esteem,
hyperkinetic disorders, and increased aggressiveness. This relationship is
estimated due to vulnerable genetic expressions in obese individuals. This
study aimed to find the association between obesity and behavioral/emotional
disorder in primary school-aged children.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 384 children at
Menteng 1 Elementary School, Jakarta from July to September 2015. The study was
conducted to find the association between the children’s nutritional status and
behavioral/emotional disorders screened by the 17-item Pediatric Symptom
Checklist (PSC-17). Chi square analysis was applied in this study.
Results: The prevalence of obese children at Menteng 1 Elementary School,
Jakarta reached 23.2%, which is higher than Jakarta’s prevalence (14%). 8.7% of
the subjects were obese and 13.6% of them were having behavioral/emotional
disorders. 20.0% of the obese subjects had behavioral/emotional disorders. The
prevalence was higher for internalizing sub-scale, which was consistent with
other studies. Association between obesity and behavioral/emotional disorders
was significant for externalizing sub-scale (p=0.036). Externalizing problems
caused by obesity might be affected by the social stigma of their peer group.
However, obesity in children did not have a statistically significant
relationship in internalization sub-scale, attention, and PSC-17 total score
(p>0.05). No significant associations towards those sub-scales were thought
to be influenced by other factors, playing a role in causing mental disorders
in children.
Conclusion: In general, obesity was not associated with behavioral and
emotional disorders in children, but obesity was related to externalizing
behavioral/emotional disorders.
Keywords: behavioral
disorders; children; emotional disorders; obesity; PSC-17
Author: Clarissa J. Aditya,
Rini Sekartini
Journal Code: jpkedokterangg170204
