부산대학교 도서관

Purposes: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that obesity is a worldwide health problem. In Taiwan, obesity causes at least 3% of total health expenditures. Numerous studies have focused on the two main causes of obesity: increased intake of energy-dense foods and the trend toward decreased physical activity. However, children do not determine their lifestyles by themselves. Methods: This study focused on the effect of parental factors on children's weight by investigating 339 elementary school children and their parents in Hualien City, Taiwan. Two questionnaires were filled by the volunteering children and their family members. Results: In this study, 23.0% of these children were overweight or obese. The results showed that children's weight is affected by their dietary habits (consumption of fast food, vegetables, fruits, and breakfast) and leisure habits (exercise, and time spent watching TV or using the computer). The lifestyle habits of parents and children were found to exhibit crucial connections. Moreover, parental weight was found to affect their children's weight. Conclusion: It has been suggested that public health programs targeting overweight status and obesity in children should focus not only on children but also on their parents, especially their mothers.