Obesity and associated risk factors in adolescents in rural areas of Buryatia, Russia

Background: According to WHO forecasts, childhood obesity can soon become equally dangerous to public health as malnutrition and infectious diseases. Elimination of modifiable risk factors is important for the disease and disease-associated complications prevention. At the same time it is shown that the risk factors can vary widely not only from country to country but also from area to area within one country. Aim: To establish risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents in rural areas of Buryatia, Russia. Materials and methods: The cross-sectional study included 11–17 year old adolescents with normal weight (BMI 25–75 percentile) and obesity (BMI ≥ 95 percentile). We assessed anthropometric measures of adolescents and their parents, sociodemographic characteristics, early-life exposures, eating and lifestyle patterns. Results: The study included 128 adolescents with normal weight and 72 adolescents with obesity. Both groups were comparable by sex, age and ethnicity. Factors, associated with obesity in rural adolescents, were: parents’ obesity (odds ratio (OR) 3.63 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92–6.87); the mother’s body mass index (OR 1.17 (95% CI 1.1–1.25)); duration of breast-feeding less than 4 months (OR 2.42 (95% CI 1.14–5.13)); disturbed dietary pattern (OR 2.54 (95% CI 1.1–5.88)). Factors showing protective effect were total breast-feeding duration (OR 0.94 (95% CI 0.89–0.99)) and mother’s employment as a skilled worker (OR 0.51 (95% CI 0.27–0.96)). Conclusions: Characteristics of family (obesity in parents, mother’s BMI), breast-feeding less than 4 months and the disturbed dietary pattern are the risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents living in rural areas of Buryatia which are worth considering when local obesity prevention programs are being developed.