Introduction: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Risk factors for obesity in this context have not been explored. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with childhood obesity/overweight among young children and adolescents 5-15 years of age in urban Bangladesh.
Methods: A scoping review based on York methodology was performed. This methodology involves a comprehensive search of published academic articles, conference proceedings and grey literature through PubMed, Bangla JOL, Google and Google scholar, limited to English-written papers.
Results: Findings revealed that having at least one overweight parent and engaging in sedentary activities for more than 4 h a day were independent risk factors for childhood overweight and/or obesity.Children who spent ≥ 30 min each day in outdoor games at home that involved physical exercise had decreased odds (OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.1–0.8) of being overweight or obese compared to children who did not exercise at home.
Conclusion: Spending much time seated or somewhat inactive were key risk factors for childhood obesity and overweight. More research, prevention and management of childhood obesity/overweight in young children and adolescents in urban Bangladesh should be a policy priority.