Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the obesity rate with anthropometric indices, nutritional status and serum lipid levels of 260 school children from 5th grade of elementry school residing in Puchon city. Obesity was defined as fat percentage that exceeds 25%. The prevalence rate of obesity were 15.2% for male and 14.1% for female. Mean fat percentage, BMI and Rohrer indice of obese male were 30.3%, 21.0 and 150.2 respectively and 28.0%, 21.5 and 151.9 for obese female. Mean serum TG, apo-B of obese female was significantly lower than that of non-obese. Obese male did not show any difference in serum lipid levels. The proportion of students whose serum cholesterol levels exceed 170mg/dI, which is cutoff point of bordeline for coronary artery disease, was 12.0% for male and 15.6% for female. The major factors affecting nutritional status were the amount of living expense, existence of mother's job and the regularity of having breakfast. Children who's living expense more than 500 thousants Won showed lower intake of Iron, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin and ascorbic acid(p<0.05). Children who's mothers are having a job were observed with decreased height(p<0.05). Children having breakfast regularly showed increased BMI and Rohrer indice than those of children having breakfast often of never.

• Keywords: obesity; rate; serum lipids; anthropometric indices; school children