Trend in the Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, and Body Fat Distribution in Children and Adolescents in Northwestern Argentina Between 1982 and 2019
2025
Delia B. Lomaglio | Rosario E. Pacheco Agüero
The aim of this work was to analyze the trend of overweight, obesity, and body fat distribution of children and adolescents in Catamarca, northwest Argentina, in the last four decades. A data series obtained between 1982 and 2019 in the province of Catamarca was analyzed. The sample of 5596 individuals (46.41% female), between 5 and 14 years old, was grouped into four decades: 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010. The categories of overweight and obesity, based on body mass index (BMI), were defined from the international reference IOTF. The fat distribution was defined according to the subscapular tricipital index (STI). Between 1980 and 2010, BMI increased by 2.35 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, overweight varied between 13.9% and 21.0%, and obesity varied between 3.4% and 19.2%. The centralized fat distribution varied from 3.9% in 1990 to 27.3% in 2010. In the cohort analysis, and after forty years, an increase in excess weight and body fat centralization was observed in children and adolescents in Catamarca. This trend was inversely proportional to the indicators of unsatisfied basic needs (UBN). It can be concluded that improvements in economic, educational, and housing conditions were not reflected in a better nutritional status.
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