Abstract
Body mass index (BMI) is a critical indicator that reflects health and nutritional status and was
influenced by many factors. The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with BMI
among Thai children aged 6–18 years. The data were obtained from the research project “Monitoring on
Food and Beverage Marketing to Children in Thailand” which employed a stratified two-stage sampling
method to select Thai children aged 6–18 years. Data collection was conducted through face-to-face
interviews using the Qualtrics Offline Survey application. Ordinal logistic regression was applied to
identify significant independent variables associated with overweight and obesity. The independent
variables were socio-demographic characteristics of children that consisted of sex, age, education level,
region, place of residence, number of children and daily pocket money for snacks and beverages, and
BMI and their consumption of high fat, sodium, and sugar (HFSS) foods and beverages (categorized into
8 groups: snacks, beverages, semi-processed foods, desserts and ice-cream, bakeries, chocolate milk
and yogurt, main dish, candies and gums). The results found that male, aged 10-18 years, secondary
education level, daily pocket money of higher than 50 Thai Baht (THB), and consumption of sweets and
ice cream were significantly associated with BMI. These results emphasize the importance of considering
these factors in policy formulation and implementation to reduce BMI among Thai children. For instance,
school code of controlling sales of unhealthy foods and beverages should be escalated into the law.
