A BSTRACT Introduction: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Obesity in children aged 3 to 12 years visiting the primary healthcare setting of the Dubai health authority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional included 383 children in the included age of 3 to 12 years. Data were collected between August 2021 and February 2022. The sample had children from different nationalities who visited primary healthcare centers with no serious medical condition. Our exclusion criteria include children with serious illnesses, children taking any chronic medication, and children not living in the UAE. Results: The average weight of participants is 33.75 kgs, average height is 1.29 meters, and average BMI is 19.23 kg/m 2 . In our study, 35.8% of children were obese, 11.2% overweight, and 42.6% had normal BMI, whereas 46.2% were underweight. The majority (68.1%) of participants were Emirati nationals. Around 30.8% of parents reported being smokers, 50% are university graduates, and 70.8% reported having sufficient income. Around 56.1% of parents said their weight is normal, whereas 38.2% believe their spouse’s weight is normal. The following factors are significant risk factors of obesity: gender (males, P = 0.012), age (11-12, P = 0.003), smoking parents ( P = 0.046), and time on screens (≥4 to 6 hours daily, P = 0.00). Conclusion: Obesity is associated with parents’ education level. The lower the education, the higher the percentage of obese children. Smoking parents, screen time of 4 hours or higher, junk food, and eating outside are significantly associated with children’s obesity. Obesity is substantially higher in males compared to females and is considerably higher in those aged 10 to 11 years.
Shehhi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.