Abstract

Objectives: Expose the epidemiologic factors that predispose to pediatric obesity, based on an exhaustive analysis of the available literature. Methods: The present study is a systematic review of the available literature. The collected articles are from various databases, such as PubMed, Lilacs, Scielo, Cinahl and Epistemonikos. Results: We selected 40 articles published since 2012 in various geographical areas such as South America, Central America, North America, Asia and Europe, which were classified into 14 topics. Epidemiological factors that predispose to pediatric obesity are grouped into: sociodemographic, familial, sleep-associated, maternal, associated to lactation, dietary, associated with physical activity, associated with the use of technologies, postnatal, associated with the feeding habits, genetic, environmental, associated with the alteration of development and associated with mental disorders. Conclusions: It was evidenced that pediatric obesity is a relevant problem worldwide, influenced by different factors according to each country’s culture and lifestyles.