IMPACTS OF CHILD OBESITY IN COMPARISON WITH THE INCIDENCE OF SLEEP APNEA AND ITS INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. It's particularly worrisome because the extra pounds often put children on the path to health problems that were once considered adult problems - diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to low self-esteem and depression. Objective: To analyze the impacts of childhood obesity in comparison with the incidence of sleep apnea and its interventions. Methodology: This study is an Integrative Literature Review, with searches conducted in the databases BVS, SciELO, LILACS, BENDEFI, and BIREME. Publications in Portuguese, English, and Spanish addressing childhood obesity associated with sleep apnea and prevention or treatment strategies were included. Results: Of the 23 articles that talked about childhood obesity, 17 were excluded because they were not related to sleep apnea. Publications older than ten years were disregarded. Thus, the analysis and title and abstract of the studies selected for full reading were carried out. Final Considerations: For all that has been exposed in the course of the work presented so far, it was possible to conclude that childhood obesity can profoundly affect children's physical health, social and emotional well-being and self-esteem. It is also associated with low academic performance and a lower quality of life experienced by the child. Many comorbidities such as metabolic, cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurological, hepatic, pulmonary and renal disorders are also observed in association with childhood obesity.