Obesity in Delhi Adolescents: Private vs Public Schools

New Delhi, May 30 (PTI) The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has conducted a study revealing that the prevalence of obesity among school-going adolescents in New Delhi is over five times greater in private schools compared to public schools.

Notably, the prevalence is higher among boys than girls in both types of schools. This research, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), involved experts from the endocrinology, cardiac biochemistry, and biostatistics departments at AIIMS, who examined the health of 3,888 students aged 6 to 19 from both public and private schools.

Researchers analyzed parameters like blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. They collaborated closely with school principals, explaining the study's objectives, expected outcomes, and potential community impact to build trust and cooperation.

The report highlights that public school students are almost five times more likely to be underweight compared to their counterparts in private schools, where obesity rates are five times higher. The study also shows a scarcity of data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood obesity, especially concerning underweight cases. Moreover, regional disparities in overweight and obesity rates were noted pre-pandemic.

Hypertension in urban adolescents aged 10-19 was observed to exceed 7%, showing little difference between public and private school students or between genders. The findings suggest that public school students, while facing fewer weight issues, are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is associated with increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.

Overall, 4.95% of children were underweight, with a significantly higher prevalence in public schools. In contrast, overall general and central obesity rates were 13.41% and 9.15% respectively, with private schools displaying notably higher numbers. Hypertension was found at a prevalence of 7.37%, with no major differences between school types.

Private school students displayed a 2.37 times higher prevalence of impaired fasting plasma glucose and a 3.51 times higher occurrence of metabolic syndrome compared to those in public schools.

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