Time trends in body mass index and obesity prevalence among youth students during 2000 to 2018 in Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract

Introduction. The aim of the study. The investigation of the time-related dynamics of adiposity parameters in a socially and economically homogenous group of young people. To determine the pattern of change in their health parameters and assess the prevalence of different diseases associated with increased body weight. Materials and methods. This study used the research titled "Massive anthropometric monitoring of physical development parameters of children, teenagers, and students" conducted from 2000 to 2018. The body mass index (BMI) of more than 6,400 students aged 17-18 years (2,971 young males and 3,418 young females) was examined. Then, we calculated the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among them. To determine the degrees of obesity, we compared the BMI values in our study with the World Health Organization's BMI ranges for corresponding age. Results. Over the study period, the mean BMI values and 5th and 15th BMI percentiles were characterized by weak positive time-related trends. Furthermore, 85th and 95th percentiles demonstrated a higher rate of increased data values (female students). From 2000 to 2018, the prevalence of overweight among female students increased from 5.2% to 10.5%, and that of obesity rose from 1.7% to 4.6%. For male students, no significant increase occurred in the overweight prevalence. Conclusions. To prevent chronic diseases associated with increased fat mass, attention should be paid to the mean values of different overweight parameters and the prevalence of extreme meanings in extensive population observations. Increased BMI among young females aged 17-18 years implies their possible elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases and other associated disorders later in life, related to nutrition disorders and lifestyle.