Prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren in Tebessa (eastern Algeria) between 1995 and 2007

This study assessed the prevalence of overweight and obesity among public-school children aged 4 to 13 years in Tebessa, eastern Algeria over 10/12 years. Weight and height measurements of 21 618 schoolchildren were obtained from their health cards for 1995 to 2007 (49.4% girls and 50.6% boys). The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2005/2007 was 8.49%, down from 17.39% in 1995/1998. Overweight decreased from 12.55% to 6.38% (P = 0.0001) and obesity from 4.48% to 1.80% (P = 0.0001) over the same time period. Children aged 10 to 13 years were the only ones who showed changes during this period. More girls were obese than boys (3.20% versus 2.82%, P = 0.033), while more boys were overweight (8.73% versus 7.94%, P = 0.034). While the rates of overweight and obesity have decreased over 10/12 years, the rates still suggest the need for epidemiological surveillance and the development of a health-oriented strategy for prevention of childhood obesity.