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Trends in relative weight over one year in low-income urban youth
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Oct 30 2014
Source: Obesity (Silver Spring). 23(2):436-442. -
Alternative Title:Obesity (Silver Spring)
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Description:Objective
Recent cross-sectional data indicate the rates of childhood obesity are plateauing. Few large-scale longitudinal datasets exist, particularly in low-income and minority youth. The purpose of the current study was to describe longitudinal changes in relative weight among a large sample of low-income, minority youth over one year.
Methods
Participants were students from fifty-six schools in urban, low-income environments. There were 17,727 1st-6th graders (64% African American, 52% male) assessed at baseline and 13,305 youth (75.1%) were reassessed one-year later at follow-up. Measured height and weight were used to assess categorical (overweight, obesity, severe obesity) and continuous (BMI, percentile, z-score) measures of relative weight.
Results
Longitudinal data showed that over one year, BMI percentile (95% CI: −0.64 – −0.32,p<.001) and BMI z-score (95% CI: −0.02 – −0.01,p<.001) were significantly lower compared to baseline. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was stable over one year. Most (86.0%) youth remained in the same weight category as baseline, 6.8% improved weight category and 7.2% worsened weight category over one year.
Conclusions
These longitudinal data indicate that the relative weight of low-income, urban youth is showing signs of a small improvement over a one year follow-up period. The rates of childhood obesity, however, remain remarkably high and require continued, creative, public health efforts.
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Subject:
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Pubmed ID:25354706
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC4348033
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