Preschool overweight and obesity estimates varied widely across sub-Saharan Africa
A review estimated the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity and identified associated factors. Its pooled figure hides substantial differences between the included studies.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review found that overweight and obesity were present among a substantial share of preschool children in the included samples. Associations involved age, screen activities, sweet foods, and maternal overweight. These findings describe patterns across studies; they do not show that changing any individual factor would prevent or reverse childhood overweight.
Study estimates varied greatly. The abstract omits country-specific figures, measurement periods, and reference groups for its associations, limiting this abstract-based account of prevalence and related factors.
What researchers found
Combined overweight/obesity prevalence
Pooled proportion in the included preschool samples; comparator and measurement periods not reported. 95% confidence interval: 11.94%–17.60%.
What the headline figure covers
The reported prevalence combines overweight and obesity into a single endpoint. It cannot be read as the proportion with obesity alone, or as an estimate that necessarily applies equally across countries and communities.
Associations need clear comparisons
The factors linked to weight status were described using odds ratios, but the abstract did not identify the reference groups. That gap makes the size of those associations hard to interpret for individual children.
The original publication
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity and Its Associated Factors among Preschool Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Shibeshi AH, Asfaw ZG, Hasen AA et al.
Adv Nutr · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41544709
- Record checked
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