3% and 3.8% respectively. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher among obese compared to non-obese children (all p<0.001). The mean BMI was significantly higher among children selleck chemicals llc from households with fewer number of children (p=0.019). With regard to area of residence, children living in urban areas of Dar es Salaam were more than 5 times more likely to be obese compared to their counterparts living in rural settings (p=0.002). Table 3 Distribution and characteristics of obese and non-obese primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2011 Socio-demographic factors associated with childhood obesity Tables 4 and and55 present results Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries for univariate and multivariate analyses between various independent factors associated with childhood obesity.

Children aged above 10 years were 3 times likely to be obese (COR=2.9; 95% CI: 1.4-5.9). Girls had twice the risk of being obese compared to boys (COR=2.2; 95% CI: 1.2-3.7). Urban residence was associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of being obese (COR=2.9, 95% CI: 1.6 �C 5.3) and having money to spend at school also Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries doubled the risk of being obese (COR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.3 �C 3.8). Table 4 Univariate analysis for predictors of obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2011 Table 5 Multivariate logistic regression models for independent predictors of obesity among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2011 After adjusting for all independent variables, age above 10 years (AOR=3.3, 95% CI=1.5-7.2), female sex (AOR=2.6, 95% CI=1.4-4.9), urban residence (AOR=2.

5, Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries 95% CI=1.2-5.3) and having money to spend at school (AOR=2.6, 95% CI=1.4-4.8) were significant independent determinants of obesity in this population of primary school children. Discussion This study has established the prevalence and determinants of obesity in a representative sample of primary school children in a large business capital of Dar es Salaam. Our results showed that the prevalence of obesity was low (5.2%). After adjusting for other independent variables, age above 10 years, female gender, urban residence and having money to spend at school were the most Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries significant independent determinants of obesity in this population of primary school children. The prevalence of child obesity found in this study was comparable to that found in previous studies conducted in Tanzania [4,5], and slightly higher compared to that reported from South Africa [26].

Higher prevalence of child obesity has been reported from North Africa [27], and Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries other developing [28,29] and developed countries [30-33]. In this study, prevalence of child obesity was higher among girls than boys. Other studies conducted among children in Africa [26,27,34] and outside Africa [35] have reported similar gender difference in the prevalence Dacomitinib of child obesity.