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Children
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Identification of Factors Associated with Obesity in Children: Present and...
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Identification of Factors Associated with Obesity in Children: Present and Future Challenges

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Pediatric Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 969

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sanja Musić Milanović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Croatian Institute of Public Health, Rockfellerova 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2. School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: childhood obesity; epidemiology; socioeconomic determinants; behavioral risk factors; health promotion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonela Matana

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health Studies, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
Interests: genetics; Mediterranean diet; thyroid gland; children; adolescents; biostatistics; bioinformatics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity in children is a complex, multifactorial disorder resulting from genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors that all interact and contribute to its development. Its prevalence has increased at an alarming rate in all pediatric age groups, in both sexes, and in various ethnic and racial groups. It is considered a major public health issue, as it increases the risks for multiple diseases, such as hypertension, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, orthopedic problems, and impaired psychological health, among others. As the prevalence of overweight and obesity increases, these conditions are also becoming more common in terms of their early onset.

This Special Issue of Children aims to gather scientific contributions in the form of original articles or reviews to improve the understanding of factors (genetic, epigenetic, environmental, lifestyle, and dietary) associated with the development of obesity in children. Additionally, our goal is to contribute to the development of effective intervention programs that target these factors, ultimately aiding in the decline of the pediatric obesity epidemic.

Dr. Sanja Musić Milanović
Dr. Antonela Matana
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • obesity in children
  • overweight
  • lifestyle
  • diet
  • genetics
  • intervention
  • obesity-related complications

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 1030 KB  
Article
Association Between Sub-National Regional Socioeconomic Status and Childhood Obesity in Five South-East European Countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative—COSI (2019)
by Sanja Musić Milanović, Helena Križan, Nika Šlaus, Emanuel Brađašević, Maja Lang Morović, Visnja Djordjic, Enisa Kujundžić, Sergej M. Ostojic, Igor Spiroski and Gregor Starc
Children 2026, 13(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020267 - 13 Feb 2026
Viewed by 652
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study focused on the sub-national regional heterogeneity in childhood obesity prevalence across five countries in south-east Europe and the correlation between this heterogeneity and socioeconomic differences. Previous studies have mainly observed national or cross-national data but this study used a sub-national [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study focused on the sub-national regional heterogeneity in childhood obesity prevalence across five countries in south-east Europe and the correlation between this heterogeneity and socioeconomic differences. Previous studies have mainly observed national or cross-national data but this study used a sub-national regional approach that may be beneficial in the further investigation of childhood obesity. Methods: Nationally representative samples of children from Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia were selected using the COSI methodology and used to estimate regional childhood obesity prevalence values. The Sub-national Human Development Database provided data on the Sub-national Human Development Index (SHDI). The spatial autocorrelation analysis of childhood obesity prevalence in sub-national regions was performed and its association with sub-national human development was tested with an ordinary least squares regression model. Results: This study found statistically significant differences in childhood obesity prevalence across sub-national regions in Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia, while no such differences were observed in North Macedonia and Montenegro. There was moderate clustering in childhood obesity rates (Moran’s I = 0.337). The results indicated a significant negative association between SHDI and childhood obesity prevalence across the 48 regions (β = −66.63, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Future public health efforts should take into consideration regional differences in childhood obesity prevalence, and more targeted research is essential for understanding the mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability on a sub-national level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identification of Factors Associated with Obesity in Children: Present and Future Challenges)
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