Determinants of Food Consumption Patterns and Family Income on the Incidence of Obesity among Elementary School Children

Abstract

Childhood obesity continues to represent a significant and escalating nutritional problem, one that is closely associated with dietary consumption patterns and household income. According to the World Health Organization (2024), approximately 390 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 years were classified as overweight in 2022, of whom 160 million were living with obesity, and this prevalence is projected to continue rising globally, including in Indonesia. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between food consumption patterns and family income with the incidence of obesity among grade 3, 4, and 5 students at MIN 1 Tangerang. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, involving a sample of 189 children selected through a stratified random sampling technique. The collected data were subjected to both univariate and bivariate analysis using the chi-square test. The findings indicated that the majority of respondents (89.4%) exhibited an adequate food consumption pattern, while the majority of families (63.5%) reported an income below the Tangerang Regency Minimum Wage of IDR 4,601,988. The chi-square analysis further revealed a statistically significant relationship between food consumption patterns and the incidence of obesity (p = 0.003), as well as between family income and the incidence of obesity (p = 0.009). These findings suggest that both food consumption patterns and family income constitute significant determinants of childhood obesity. Accordingly, schools and parents are encouraged to provide education on balanced nutrition and to promote consistent physical activity as preventive measures against the increasing prevalence of obesity among school-age children.
Keywords: Food Consumption Patterns; Family Income; Obesity; Elementary School Children; Nutritional Status.