Ethnic and Social Differences in Childhood Obesity, Comparison of Roma and non-Roma Groups in Slovakia

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Ethnic and Social Differences in Childhood
Obesity, Comparison of Roma and non-Roma Groups
in Slovakia

• Rimárová K. et all.
• Institute of Hygiene and Public Health,
  Faculty of Medicine, Kosice, Slovak Republic

"This project is funded under the framework of
Public Health Programme 2003-2008 of the
European Commission (contract number 2005122)"
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Overview

• Roma communities around Europe create estimated
  amount of 8 10 millions Roma people living
  prevalently in Eastern and Central Europe.
• Identifying Roma as an ethnic group brings the
  problem due the national policy in former CEE
  countries where nationality is voluntary in the
  census and the person can conceive a nationality
  as a personal feeling. Roma belong to
  Caucasians creating sub-ehtnic group.
• Roma people themselves do not like to be
  called Roma or Gypsies, most of identification
  is coming from external observers featuring main
  visible signs.

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Geographic distribution of Roma population in
Slovakia (official statistics census by
nationality 2001)
Source Infostat Slovakia
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Estimated amount of Roma in CCE ()
Percentage in population
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Obesity

• Obesity is associated with significant morbidity
  and mortality and poses one of the major
  cardiovascular risk.
• Prevalence of overweight and obesity has globally
  worldwide increasing trend among children and
  youths.
• Roma children from previous research are shorter
  with lower body height and weight.
• Adult Gypsies have high tendency for abdominal
  and total obesity so aim of the study was to
  evaluate overweight trends among children.

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Material and methods I.

• cross-sectional anthropometrical survey,
  including basic body parameters
• subjects were Roma preschool and schoolchildren
  aged 3-12 years,
• 710 Roma (332 boys, 378 girls), semi-segregated
  group,
• compared to National Anthropometric Survey
  Results from 2001 (no SES)

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Material and methods II.

• 710 Roma semi-segregated group,
• compared to 752 non-Roma children living in the
  vicinity of Roma population
• no SES in Slovak Anthropometric survey
• as SES data collected parents education,
  parents employment, single parent family, smoking
  in the family,
• parents questionnaires, Roma as regulated
  interview at the school meeting

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Statistical analysis

• for national survey comparison arithmetic means
  t/test have been used
• for BMI changes and SES factors impact multiple
  regression model has been used

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Ethnic differences in height (boys)
plt0.05 plt0.01 plt0.001
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Ethnic differences in height (boys)
Age
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Ethnic differences in height (girls)
plt0.05 plt0.01 plt0.001
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Ethnic differences in height (girls)
Age
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Ethnic differences in weight (boys)
Age
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Ethnic differences in weight (girls)
Age
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Ethnic differences in WHR (boys)
Age
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Ethnic differences in WHR (girls)
Age
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Ethnic differences in BMI (boys)
Age
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Ethnic differences in BMI (girls)
Age
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Multiple regression model of SES status
attainment on BMI in children (Non-Roma Roma
vs. cross/sect., adjusted for sex )
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Conclusions I.

• Outputs from comparison of Roma data with
  national anthropometric survey claim
• lower basic anthropometric parameters in the
  Roma children population,
• BUT the values of BMI index and WHR index
  showing tendency for android shaping of the body
• higher BMI particularly in age 6 9 years in
  the both sexes tendency for obesity

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Conclusions II.

• statistical difference between Roma and non-Roma
  children in BMI
• for increased BMI as a risk factors from SES
  ethnicity, mother education and single family
  status

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Limitations

• cross-sectional study
• representativness
• small amount of children for anthropometric
  measure
• no randomisation
• questionnaires from parents or Roma children
  have very low validity

"Disclaimer The study has received funding from
the European Commission under the Public Health
Programme 2003-2008. However, the sole
responsibility for the study lies with the author
and the European Commission is not responsible
for any use that may be made of the information
contained therein."