Associations of obesity and lifestyle factors between children in rural and urban areas in West Texas

• In Event: Biomedical Sciences Oral Session & Section Meeting

Abstract

Two related problems that many children are facing today are child obesity and poor eating habits, which has resulted in an increasing number of children becoming unfit. Obesity in children has increased nearly three times in the past 50 years, and about 1 and 3 children in the U. S. are classified as being overweight or obese. The question is raised, is there any correlation between BMI and percent body fat to geographic settings? Thus the objective of this study is to attempt to determine if there is any evidence or information on whether a child’s geographical settings associated with culture, lifestyle, and demographics affect their body composition determined by BMI and body fat percentage in the Trans-Pecos, Texas area. This study uses body mass index, percent body fat, and a nutrition survey for measurements gathered from numerous children residing from different parts of West Texas. The cities selected for this study were determined by choosing a selection of rural and urban cities in West Texas region by using the United States Census Bureau. There have been few studies of the associations of child overweight or obesity and related health issues with urban and rural environment, thus this study could be of importance to school districts if the findings recognize that geographical settings can play a major factor with student health. The data gathered from this study can also be used to institute healthy lifestyles in many schools and homes, thus increasing quality of life in the region.

Authors

• Kassandra Hernandez, Sul Ross State University

• Chris M Ritzi, Sul Ross State University