ABSTRACT
Across the world, the prevalence of overweight and obese children is high. The influences of several factors have been extensively described; this includes genetic, cultural, and environmental factors, such as sedentary activity in children. This study aims to determine the association between sedentary activities and parental obesity with obesity in children. A case-control study was carried out at ten elementary schools in Medan. The data about sedentary lifestyle and parental obesity was obtained by giving questionnaires to parents or guardians. Data was analysed by chi-squared tests, with p < 0.05 being considered as statistically significant. There were 212 children recruited, aged 6-12 years—105 children with obesity as the case group and 107 normal-weight children as a control group. This study found a significant association between parental obesity and sedentary activities with obesity in children (p < 0.01). It is important to make efforts to prevent obesity in children. Keywords: Childhood obesity, sedentary behaviour, parental obesity
