All issues > Volume 47(12); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(12):1266-1272. Published online December 15, 2004.

Applicability of the "Questionnaire on Risk Factors Associated with Obesity in Adolescents" in School-Based Screening to Prevent Life Style Disease as a Result of Complicated Adolescent Obesity

Yoon Hee YH Shim¹, Ji Young JY Kim¹, Soo Jeung SJ Lee¹, Su Jin SJ Cho¹, Whaan Kuck WK Yeong², Young Mi YM Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
²School Health Center in Seoul, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Young Mi YM Hong ,Email: hongym@chollian.net

Abstract

Purpose
The prevalence of obesity and complications related to obesity among Korean adolescents were reviewed. To prevent obesity related complications in adolescents, the applicability of the "Questionnaire on risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents" as an assessment and management guideline was evaluated.
Methods
Weight, height, blood pressure and serum lipid and glucose level of 7,265 high school students in Seoul were investigated. Two-hundred ninety nine obese students submitted a self-reporting questionnaire, and the risk of developing obesity related complications was scored for each student according to the "Questionnaire on risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents".
Results
Among the obese, those of moderate to severe degree were 83.6%. The average score on the questionaire was 4.0?.6, which might require any form of intervention. Of the 403 obese students of moderate to severe degree, those complicated with hypertension were 19.1%, with hyperlipidemia 46.6%, with liver dysfunction 97.5%, and those with family history of hypertension were 19.1 %. The recorded scores were significantly related with cardiovascular family history, serum lipid level, etc. Furthermore, as the body mass index(BMI) of the mother increased, the BMI of their child increased.
Conclusion
By recording this score on follow-up visits, it would be easy to intervene to prevent progression to the adulthood morbidity, and those with high scores can be referred to a specialist. Therefore, this "Questionnaire on risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents" is valuable to screen and prevent obesity related complications in adolescents.

Keywords :Obesity; Adolescents