Scoping Review on the Underlying Causes of Childhood Obesity in South Asia and Western Countries

Low, Pui Yan (2021) Scoping Review on the Underlying Causes of Childhood Obesity in South Asia and Western Countries. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

This thesis’ main objective is to identify and present the possible and underlying causes that contribute to childhood obesity in children throughout the world. To emphasize childhood obesity, it is also considered as leading consequences of nutritional deficiency other than kwashiorkor and marasmus. The obesity and overweight epidemic among adolescent and children in the world had increase to worsen, with different variety of reasons. Therefore, a scoping review is written to examine the causes of obesity happen in children and adolescent. Articles, research papers and journals that had been reviewed are from 2010 to 2020 using PubMed. The searching terms, ‘causes of childhood obesity’ was entered and there are more than 5000 outcome articles. Articles were excluded if articles discussed on intervention, health risk implication of childhood obesity and so forth. Besides, study without positive result on causes of childhood obesity also had been excluded. Hundred and forty-three out of four hundred and twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria for this scoping review. Overall, reviewed articles that were included such as study on causes of childhood obesity that comprising risk factors, influence of prenatal pregnancy, environmental factors of children, endocrine disturbance, maternal and paternal with high weight, sleeping quality of children, neighbourhood quality, dietary pattern and so forth. In conclusion, childhood obesity is not only caused by the individual themselves, but also the factors of condition for maternal prenatal pregnancy, neighbourhood influences, breastfeeding pattern, educational background, and socioeconomic status.