248 Table 4 Median values, ranges, mean values and standard deviation of BMI in boys and girls from urban and rural areas Med. median values, SD standard deviation Age Boys 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Girls 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Urban Number 549 33 63 72 85 64 78 106 48 553 35 53 89 67 80 96 85 48 Med. 17.95 16.46 16.39 17.07 17.47 17.90 18.55 19.54 19.28 17.60 16.05 16.16 16.45 16.91 17.22 18.06 19.17 19.21 Ranges 13.1–38.2 14.4–19.7 13.2–24.4 13.1–26.4 13.3–27.0 13.7–34.7 13.8–34.3 14.2–38.2 13.8–30.8 12.6–32.0 13.4–28.4 12.6–20.8 13.4–27.3 13.4–25.5 13.4–28.8 13.8–26.7 14.5–32.0 15.3–27.8 Mean 18.68 16.51 17.31 17.57 18.40 19.32 19.17 19.93 19.72 18.03 16.80 16.25 16.75 17.53 17.58 18.50 19.58 19.86 SD 3.36 1.34 2.52 2.57 2.93 3.85 3.52 3.69 3.58 3.01 2.70 1.97 2.25 2.68 2.74 3.46 2.91 3.12 Rural Number 199 – – – – 194 31 36 31 39 30 32 30 30 30 33 38 33 Eur J Pediatr (2012) 171:245–251 Med. 17.72 – 16.96 17.63 17.03 17.76 18.56 19.16 – 17.23 – 15.84 16.02 17.43 17.65 17.19 18.59 – Range 13.9–33.7 – 13.9–19.4 14.5–23.6 14.4–20.9 15.3–30.5 14.4–30.8 15.1–33.7 – 11.9–27.0 – 11.9–23.3 13.9–22.4 13.5–22.2 14.2–23.7 13.6–26.8 15.5–27.0 – Mean 18.44 – 16.85 17.80 17.28 18.93 19.03 20.71 – 17.68 – 16.59 16.71 17.53 18.22 17.78 19.04 – SD 3.09 – 1.49 1.98 1.70 3.22 3.46 4.21 – 2.61 – 2.94 2.41 2.26 2.31 2.40 2.68 – equalled three cases. The highest number of obese urban children (n = 9) was observed in 9- and 10-years-olds. The examination did not register such big differences in the prevalence of overweight in urban girls as it did in the case of boys. The highest number of overweight girls was observed in 11-year-olds (n= 17) and the lowest in 6-, 10- and 13-year- olds (n= 9 in all three age categories). The highest number of obese urban girls was in the group of 9-year-olds (n= 5). Noticed remarkable changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity depending on the age was registered in rural girls. The highest number of overweight children was in the group of 9-year-olds and it equalled nine subjects. However, no instances of obesity were registered. In 7-year-olds, the number of obese girls was higher than that of overweight children and totalled five and four cases, respectively. Taking into consideration the degree of sexual maturity, the incidence of obesity was more frequent in younger children regardless of the gender. A higher percentage of overweight was also registered in younger children with the exception of urban girls. The greatest difference in overweight incidence in the examined sample was observed in gender groups. Regardless of place of residence, a higher percentage of overweight children was in the group of boys. Obesity was more prevalent Table 5 Prevalence of overweight and obesity in boys based on IOTF criteria [8] by place of residence and age IOTF International Obesity Task Force, OW(n) number of over- weight, OB(n) number of obesity Age 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Total Childhood Early adolescent Urban Number 33 63 72 85 64 78 106 48 549 501 48 OW(n) 7 12 20 20 16 19 48 9 151 (27.31%) 142 9 OB(n) 0 8 6 9 9 3 6 2 43 (7.78%) 41 2 Rural Number OW(n) – – – 31 36 31 39 30 32 199 199 – 9 10 5 10 6 16 – 56 (28.14%) 56 – OB(n) – 0 1 0 2 1 3 – 7 (3.52%) 7 –