Nutritional Status of 8- to 12-Year-Olds in Primary Schools in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Keywords:
Childhood obesity, nutritional status, schoolchildren, body mass index, public healthAbstract
ABSTRACT
Childhood overweight and obesity represent one of the main global public health challenges. Mexico ranks first in childhood obesity, and the state of Baja California Sur is among the states with the highest risk. This study evaluated the nutritional status of 415 schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 years from the Efraín Ceseña and Arturo Guerrero González elementary schools in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were used to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) and classify nutritional status. The results showed that 49.6% of children had a healthy weight, 3.4% were underweight, 18.3% were overweight, 20.2% were obese, and 8.4% were severely obese. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 47%, exceeding the national average of 37%. The "Efraín Ceseña Ceseña" school showed better nutritional indicators (53.9% healthy weight) compared to the "Arturo Guerrero González" school (44.3% healthy weight). These findings confirm the urgent need to implement nutritional intervention programs in schools to prevent long-term health complications.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Elizabeth Martínez-Juárez, Felipe de Jesús Sánchez-Hernández
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