Majalah Kesehatan Indonesia
Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026)

Prevalence, Trends, and Projections of Overweight and Obesity Among Children and Adolescents in Indonesia, 1993–2050: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Azza Fithra Alhanifa (School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine Udayana University)
Tresna Ananda Dewi Purbasari (School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine Udayana University)
Putu Cintya Denny Yuliyatni (Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine Udayana)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 May 2026

Abstract

Overweight and obesity among children and adolescents are growing public-health challenges with long-term consequences for noncommunicable disease burden. This study primarily aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of overweight and obesity among Indonesian school-aged children and adolescents; secondarily, we examined temporal trends and estimated number of cases through 2050. We conducted a meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies up to 10 September 2025. Pooled estimates used random-effects models with heterogeneity assessed by I2. Publication bias was explored and adjusted using trim-and-fill when indicated. Subgroup analyses included sex, school level, and period. Temporal trends were modelled with Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and projected to 2050 using national demographic data. A total of 152 studies were included. The pooled prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was 18.13% (95% CI: 15.02–21.71%); obesity alone 7.49% (95% CI: 5.89–9.47%); overweight alone 11% (95% CI: 10–13%). Substantial between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 77.5–99.9%) was observed. Higher prevalence was found in boys and primary-school children. ARIMA projections indicate an increase in combined prevalence to 23.02% by 2050. About one in five Indonesian children and adolescents are affected by overweight or obesity with projected increases, highlighting the urgent need for targeted, multisectoral prevention strategies, especially at primary-school age, to curb future noncommunicable-disease burden. However, given the high between-study heterogeneity consistently observed across all categories, these estimates and projections should be interpreted cautiously as indicative rather than definitive figures.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

makein

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Health Professions Medicine & Pharmacology Nursing Public Health

Description

Majalah Kesehatan Indonesia (MAKEIN) with registered ISSN 2745-6498 (Print) and ISSN 2745-8008 (online), is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes material on all aspects of public health science. This MAKEIN provides the ideal platform for the discussion of more sophisticated public health ...