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Abstract

Introduction: Weight and height measurement and body mass index (BMI) calculation and comparing them with standard curves are the most important international indicators used for evaluating physical growth and health. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the nexus between BMI and lifestyle areas among 8-12-years-old children in elementary schools of Rasht City, Iran.

This is a cross-sectional study with correlational type in which, 975 students of 8-12 age range participated. The sampling process was done through the cluster-random method. BMI was measured the assigned to four groups skinny, normal, overweight, and obese. The data were imported into the SPSS21 software. The results show that drinking juice prepared at home (P=0.01) is one of the factors predicting overweight. Moreover, it was concluded that doing exercise after school is one of the factors related to overweight (P=0.05), so doing exercise after school would reduce the overweight possibility by 1.4 times. No significant relationship exists between electronic entertainment and BMI. Also, daily TV watching is one of the factors leading to obesity (P=0.05), so daily TV watching would increase the possibility of getting obese by 1.2 times rather than normal individuals. A reverse relationship exists between optimal sleep and obesity (P=0.04), while loss of appetite is one of the factors related to thinness (P=0.001) (direct relationship), overweight (P=0.002) (indirect relationship), and obesity (P=0.0001) (indirect relationship). The results of the study can be used by health managers and planners to design screening programs associated with obesity and its implications among children, and to find what lifestyle areas of children must be modified and changed‎.