Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity Within the Home Environment of Preschool Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2022 May 14

PMID 35565675

Authors

Albert L Kwansa

Robert Akparibo

Joanne E Cecil

Gisele Infield Solar

Samantha J Caton

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing an increasing prevalence of young children being overweight and obese. Many feeding and physical activity-related behaviours are established at home during preschool years, yet the precise factors that contribute to preschool overweight and obesity have not been fully elucidated. This review aims to identify factors in the home environment associated with overweight and or obesity in preschool children in SSA. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa Journals Online (AJOL) and the African Index Medicus databases were systematically searched for qualitative and quantitative studies published between 2000 and 2021. Eleven studies (ten quantitative, one qualitative) met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the results highlight the paucity of studies exploring factors in the home environment associated with overweight and obesity in preschool children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The home food environment and maternal BMI appear to be important factors associated with overweight and obesity in preschool children; however, the information for all other factors explored remains unclear due to the lack of evidence. For successful obesity prevention and treatment interventions to be developed, more research in this area is required to understand how different aspects of the home environment contribute to overweight and obesity in preschool Sub-Saharan African children.

Citing Articles

infection and gastric microbiota: Insights into gastric and duodenal ulcer development.

Pan Y, Jiao F World J Gastroenterol. 2025; 31(7):100044.

PMID: 39991687 PMC: 11755247. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i7.100044.

Link between childhood obesity and gut microbiota.

Pan Y, Jiao F World J Gastroenterol. 2024; 30(30):3560-3563.

PMID: 39193569 PMC: 11346147. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i30.3560.

Socio-economic, demographic, and contextual predictors of malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months in Nigeria.

Obasohan P, Walters S, Jacques R, Khatab K BMC Nutr. 2024; 10(1):1.

PMID: 38167375 PMC: 10762859. DOI: 10.1186/s40795-023-00813-x.

Dietary Patterns, Socio-Demographic Predictors Thereof, and Associations of Dietary Patterns with Stunting and Overweight/Obesity in 1-<10-Year-Old Children in Two Economically Active Provinces in South Africa.

Senekal M, Nel J, Eksteen G, Steyn N Nutrients. 2023; 15(19).

PMID: 37836420 PMC: 10574062. DOI: 10.3390/nu15194136.

Interactions between Self-Perceived Weight Status and Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Associations with Childhood Obesity: Results from the Childhood Obesity Study in China Mega-Cities.

Gao L, Zhu J, Wang L, Wen L, Chen Z, Zhao B Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(16).

PMID: 36011552 PMC: 9408598. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19169921.

References

Keino S, Plasqui G, Ettyang G, van den Borne B . Determinants of stunting and overweight among young children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Food Nutr Bull. 2014; 35(2):167-78. DOI: 10.1177/156482651403500203. View

Oddo V, Mueller N, Pollack K, Surkan P, Bleich S, Jones-Smith J . Maternal employment and childhood overweight in low- and middle-income countries. Public Health Nutr. 2017; 20(14):2523-2536. PMC: 7059352. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980017001720. View

Gwozdz W, Sousa-Poza A, Reisch L, Ahrens W, Eiben G, Fernandez-Alvira J . Maternal employment and childhood obesity--a European perspective. J Health Econ. 2013; 32(4):728-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2013.04.003. View

Drewnowski A, Popkin B . The nutrition transition: new trends in the global diet. Nutr Rev. 1997; 55(2):31-43. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1997.tb01593.x. View

Howe L, Hargreaves J, Gabrysch S, Huttly S . Is the wealth index a proxy for consumption expenditure? A systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009; 63(11):871-7. DOI: 10.1136/jech.2009.088021. View

Tadesse Y, Derso T, Alene K, Wassie M . Prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity among private kindergarten school children in Bahirdar Town, Northwest Ethiopia: cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes. 2017; 10(1):22. PMC: 5217453. DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-2308-8. View

Tchoubi S, Sobngwi-Tambekou J, Noubiap J, Asangbeh S, Nkoum B, Sobngwi E . Prevalence and Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity among Children Aged 6-59 Months in Cameroon: A Multistage, Stratified Cluster Sampling Nationwide Survey. PLoS One. 2015; 10(12):e0143215. PMC: 4670227. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143215. View

Johnson L, Toumpakari Z, Papadaki A . Social Gradients and Physical Activity Trends in an Obesogenic Dietary Pattern: Cross-Sectional Analysis of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008-2014. Nutrients. 2018; 10(4). PMC: 5946173. DOI: 10.3390/nu10040388. View

Dovey T, Staples P, Gibson E, Halford J . Food neophobia and 'picky/fussy' eating in children: a review. Appetite. 2007; 50(2-3):181-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2007.09.009. View

10.

Hetherington M, Cecil J, Jackson D, Schwartz C . Feeding infants and young children. From guidelines to practice. Appetite. 2011; 57(3):791-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.07.005. View

11.

Fogelholm M, Nuutinen O, Pasanen M, Myohanen E, Saatela T . Parent-child relationship of physical activity patterns and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000; 23(12):1262-8. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801061. View

12.

Sserwanja Q, Mutisya L, Olal E, Musaba M, Mukunya D . Factors associated with childhood overweight and obesity in Uganda: a national survey. BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):1494. PMC: 8330108. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11567-1. View

13.

Scott A, Ejikeme C, Clottey E, Thomas J . Obesity in sub-Saharan Africa: development of an ecological theoretical framework. Health Promot Int. 2012; 28(1):4-16. DOI: 10.1093/heapro/das038. View

14.

Latner J, Stunkard A, Wilson G . Stigmatized students: age, sex, and ethnicity effects in the stigmatization of obesity. Obes Res. 2005; 13(7):1226-31. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2005.145. View

15.

Fitzsimons E, Pongiglione B . The impact of maternal employment on children's weight: Evidence from the UK. SSM Popul Health. 2018; 7:100333. PMC: 6297074. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.100333. View

16.

Amuta A, Jacobs W, Idoko E, Barry A, McKyer E . Influence of the Home Food Environment on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Study of Rural Low-Income Families. Health Promot Pract. 2015; 16(5):689-98. DOI: 10.1177/1524839915589733. View

17.

Kumordzie S, Okronipa H, Arimond M, Adu-Afarwuah S, Ocansey M, Young R . Maternal and child factors associated with child body fatness in a Ghanaian cohort. Public Health Nutr. 2019; 23(2):309-318. PMC: 6988376. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019001745. View

18.

Klingberg S, van Sluijs E, Draper C . "The thing is, kids don't grow the same": Parent perspectives on preschoolers' weight and size in Soweto, South Africa. PLoS One. 2020; 15(4):e0231094. PMC: 7135213. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231094. View

19.

Reale S, Hamilton J, Akparibo R, Hetherington M, Cecil J, Caton S . The effect of food type on the portion size effect in children aged 2-12 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite. 2019; 137:47-61. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.01.025. View

20.

Kopelman P, Jebb S, Butland B . Executive summary: Foresight 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices' project. Obes Rev. 2007; 8 Suppl 1:vi-ix. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2007.00344.x. View