Objective: The last 50 years in Poland has been a period of radical economic and demographic transformations. The deep economic crisis in 1980-1994 particularly affected people living in rural areas, especially in Pomerania, where for several years the net income of rural households fell by more than 40% year-on-year. This research aimed at analysing the prevalence of abnormal weight and the impact of various socioeconomic factors on the children’s development. Methods: This paper presents the results of 3,262 children aged 7-9 years from two rural schools in Central Pomerania examined in years 1978-2005. Measurement of body weight and height were used to calculate each child's BMI, then according to the criteria of the International Obesity Task Force, were allocated to one of four weight status categories: underweight, normal BMI, overweight and obesity. The intergroup differences in unrelated qualitative variables were estimated using the χ2 test with the analysis of the odds ratio, and the effect of the socioeconomic factors on the prevalence of abnormal children’s weight status was analysed with the Mantel-Haenszel test. Results: The study revealed that the number of children with abnormal weight status is increasing over time. The greatest rise of overweight and obese children was found between 1998 and 2005 (from 2.58% to 8.4%, p=0.002 among boys, and from 11.9% to 19.27%, p<0.0001 among girls). Simultaneously with the increasing of overweight and obese there was also an increase in the number of underweight children (from 6.64% to 14.8%, p=0.0003 among boys and from 9.46% to 16.08%, p=0.005, among girls). This trend has only recently been stopped. Conclusion: To control and ultimately stop the continuing problems related to abnormal body weight, effective and well-coordinated measures have to be taken. The managed actions must combat both underweight and overweight at the same time at every possible level and by different professionals.

NZOZ Twój Lekarz Chełmno Poland

Palacký University Olomouc Faculty of Health Science Department of Specialised Subjects and Practical Skills Czech Republic

Pomeranian University in Słupsk Institute of Biology and Environmental Protection Poland

Student at Medical University Gdansk Poland

Prevalence podváhy, nadváhy a obezity u 7–9letých venkovských dětí v průběhu ekonomické transformace v Polsku. 40 let pozorování: případová kontrolní studie