Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Danish preschool children over a 10-year period: a study of two birth cohorts in general practice

Aim: To determine change in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children, over a 10‐year period and to identify possible predictors of overweight in 5‐year‐old children. Methods: Anthropometric data from birth and routine child health examinations at 3 and 5 years of age performed in general practice were collected in 5580 children from two Funen birth cohorts (1992 and 2001, respectively) representing 48% of the total population at similar age. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was classified using the International Obesity Task Force definitions. Results: In a Danish representative survey of preschool children, the average body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of overweight and obesity did not vary significantly during the 10‐year period. No significant changes in mean birth weight were registered and mean BMI in the group of obese children did not increase. Overweight or obesity at 5 years was strongly associated with overweight and obesity at 3 years and with birth weight and gender. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed to be stable over a decade in Danish preschool children without changes in mean BMI in the group of obese children. A strong association between overweight and obesity at 3 and at 5 years of age was detected.     

全国0～6 岁儿童单纯性肥胖流行病学研究

目的 本研究旨在了解自1996年第二次全国儿童期单纯肥胖症流行学研究后10年来我国儿童期单纯肥胖症的发展特征和趋势;复核本工作组研究初期所确定的工作假设和所选择的指示参数的科学效应;修订本工作组所制定的中国儿童单纯肥胖症控制方案的科学性和可操作性.方法 选择沈阳、济南、青岛、郑州、长沙、重庆、西安、成都、深圳、海口、文昌11个城市,采取随机整群抽样的方法,共调查0～6岁儿童84 766名,代表人口1 414 220名儿童.儿童肥胖的判定标准为世界卫生组织(WHO)身高标准体重值,采用标准差计分法(Z-score),体重高于中位数1个标准差为超重、高于2个标准差为肥胖.测量体重、身长/身高、3岁以上儿童的腰围、臀围、大腿围及血压.计数、计量数据分别采用χ2检验和t检验进行分析,显著性检验水平为0.05.结果 (1)本次调查0～6 岁儿童肥胖、超重总检出率分别为7.2%、19.8%,其中男童肥胖、超重检出率分别为8.9%、22.2%,女童肥胖、超重检出率分别为5.3%、17.0%.较1996年分别增长了3.6、4.7倍,年均增长速度分别为156%和52%.肥胖、超重检出率北部高于西部,中南部居中;男童高于女童.肥胖、超重比仍处于高危水平.(2)出生后1个月儿童的平均体块指数(BMI)值＞16.5,于1个月时BMI均值达最高(17.8),之后逐渐降低,5.5岁时降至最低点(平均值15.7),然后随年龄上升,但最高BMI均值未超过18.(3)本次调查中,脂肪重聚年龄为5.5岁,较1996年后移半年.出生后前半年的脂肪重聚比(ARR1)为0.56,出生后半年(ARR2)为0.97,均处于可接受水平,且明显低于10年前的水平.(4)西部地区儿童由于身高不足,可以出现"假性超重".这既掩盖了早期线性生长不足和营养不良,又掩盖了可能产生的肥胖.(5)本次调查肥胖儿童血压高于第95百分位数的比例高达12.9%,其腰臀比大于本工作组设置的1.0的危险警戒水平者占17.2%.(6)本工作组所设立的BMI参照值及肥胖筛查界值点、脂肪重聚比/年龄等参照值及界值点、腰臀比参照值及界值点等指示参数在现场筛查和指示健康危险因素等方面是适宜、科学、实用的.结论 近10年儿童期单纯肥胖症检出率和肥胖儿童高血压率增加明显,且存在心血管高危状态,应加强儿童期单纯肥胖症的早期预防控制.     

Overweight and obesity in pediatric liver transplant recipients: prevalence and predictors before and after transplant, United Network for Organ Sharing Data, 1987-2010

Perito ER, Glidden D, Roberts JP, Rosenthal P. Overweight and obesity in pediatric liver transplant recipients: Prevalence and predictors before and after transplant, United Network for Organ Sharing Data, 1987–2010.
Pediatr Transplantation 2012: 16: 41–49. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Obesity is extremely common in adult liver transplant recipients and healthy U.S. children. Little is known about the prevalence or risk factors for post‐transplant obesity in pediatric liver transplant recipients. UNOS data on all U.S. liver transplants 1987–2010 in children 6 months–20 yr at transplant were analyzed. Subjects were categorized as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese by CDC guidelines. Predictors of weight status at and after transplant were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Of 3043 children 6–24 months at transplant, 14% were overweight. Of 4658 subjects 2–20 yr at transplant, 16% were overweight and 13% obese. Children overweight/obese at transplant were more likely to be overweight/obese at one, two, and five yr after transplant in all age groups after adjusting for age, ethnicity, primary diagnosis, year of transplant, and transplant type. Weight status at transplant was not associated with overweight/obesity by 10 yr after transplant. The prevalence of post‐transplant obesity remained high in long‐term follow‐up, from 20% to 50% depending on age and weight status at transplant. Weight status at transplant is the strongest predictor of post‐transplant overweight/obesity. To optimize long‐term outcomes in pediatric liver transplant recipients, monitoring for obesity and its comorbidities is important.     

Socio‐economic influence on weight status through time in schoolchildren

Aim: This paper describes the developmental trajectory of adiposity in relation to socio‐demographic status in primary schoolchildren studying in local schools in Hong Kong. Methods: Body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of overweight and obesity were determined in a cohort of primary schoolchildren annually from 2001/2002 to 2005/2006. To study the associations between socio‐demographic status and adiposity, repeated measures analysis of variance was used for the longitudinal change in BMI, while logistic regression was used with overweight and obesity development as outcomes. Results: Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.1% and 4.0%, respectively, at baseline, and 16.7% and 3.3%, respectively, at the end of the study period. Boys were more likely to be overweight and obese. Parents in the ‘Professional’ occupational group were less likely to have overweight and obese children. Among 32 781 children with normal weight at baseline, 2885 (8.8%) became overweight or obese after 4 years. Among 6286 children who were initially overweight or obese, 2079 (33.1%) returned to normal weight. Boys were more likely to move up from normal weight to overweight or obesity and less likely to move down the opposite direction during the study period. Parental education at degree level and the occupational group of ‘Professionals’ were, in general, associated with more favourable changes in weight status during follow‐up. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity were not firmly established during early primary school years. Interventions at the school level on students and their parents might help prevent and control the future development of the obesity epidemic in the population.     

Parental overweight/obesity,social factors,and child overweight/obesity at 7 years of age

Background: This study used gender‐based analyses to examine whether child overweight/obesity is related to parental overweight/obesity and sociodemographic factors, in a representative population‐based cohort of 7‐year‐old children. Methods: Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development 1998–2010 was used. Children (n= 1336) were randomly selected from each public health region of Québec. The study was based on face‐to‐face interviews and a set of questionnaires addressed to mothers and fathers. Results: Compared to children with no overweight/obese parent, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of being overweight/obese with two overweight/obese parents was 5 for boys (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31–10.85) and 5.87 for girls (95%CI: 2.63–13.12). Gender differences appeared when one parent was overweight/obese. For girls, having either an overweight/obese mother (OR, 3.10; 95%CI: 1.14–8.38) or father (OR, 3.64; 95%CI: 1.68–7.91) significantly increased the odds of being overweight/obese at 7 years. For boys, however, having only an overweight/obese father (OR, 2.05; 95%CI: 1.01–4.16) was related to overweight/obesity, but having only an overweight/obese mother was not related to overweight/obesity at 7 years for boys. In girls, but not in boys, having an immigrant mother also significantly related to overweight/obesity (OR, 2.71; 95%CI: 1.28–5.75) at 7 years, after controlling for other social factors. Conclusions: Gender differences in socialization may explain why at 7 years of age, girls' bodyweight is influenced by having even one overweight/obese parent (mother or father), while boys' bodyweight appears to be influenced only by father's overweight/obesity when only one parent is overweight/obese.     

High incidence of obesity co-morbidities in young children: a cross-sectional study

Aim: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children is a public health problem because of future morbidity. However, the prevalence of medical complications in overweight and obese primary school children in Australia is not well documented. As part of the larger, prospective cohort Growth and Development Study, this report aimed to identify the medical complications of obesity in a population‐based community sample of primary school‐aged children. Methods: Two groups of primary school children were studied: a random community sample of overweight/obese children (not seeking treatment) and a matched community sample of normal weight children. Demographics, medical history, family history and symptoms of complications of overweight were collected. Children had a physical examination, oral glucose tolerance tests with insulins, fasting lipid profiles and liver function tests. Results: Data from 283 children are presented (6.1–13.4 years, mean 9.8 years). There were no differences in birth data, family composition, parental age or socio‐economic status between groups. Overweight and obese children were more likely to complain of musculoskeletal pain, depression, anxiety and bullying, and had more adverse examination findings than control children. They also had more abnormal investigations: overweight children: impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) 1.3%, hyperinsulinism 19.5%, dyslipidaemia 63.8%, raised alanine transaminase (ALT) 9.0%; obese children: IGT 5.3%, hyperinsulinism 38.9%, dyslipidaemia 73.7%, raised ALT 31.6%. Conclusion: Overweight and obese primary school‐aged children have significant medical complications of their weight status. Overweight children, in addition to obese children, should be screened for complications. A secondary finding is a high proportion of normal weight children with lipid levels outside desirable healthy ranges.     

Increasing prevalence of obesity in South Australian 4-year-olds: 1995-2002

OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence of, and trends in, overweight and obesity in South Australian children aged 4 years during the period 1995-2002. METHODS: Data from 114 669 children collected as part of Child and Youth Health 'preschool health assessments' of 4-year-olds throughout the state in the years 1995-2002 were analysed. Body mass index was calculated from height and weight data and prevalence of overweight and obesity for males and females determined using a standard world-wide definition. Yearly prevalence rates were compared for changes over time. RESULTS: Rates of overweight and obesity have increased over the period 1995-2002. In 1995, of females 12.8% were overweight or obese (obese 3.5%). Of males 10.2% were overweight or obese (obese 3.2%). The equivalent figures in 2002 were for females 21.4% (obese 5.8%) and males 17.3% (obese 4.1%). Rates of overweight and obesity were greater in females than males in all years (except obesity rate in 1995). CONCLUSION: Data from this large, consecutive yearly dataset of South Australian 4-year-old children show a significant increase in the rates of overweight and obesity. Much of this increase appears to have occurred in the mid-to-late 1990s. It is uncertain if these changes have plateaued at this time. These results reinforce rising obesity prevalence as a significant child health issue. They also indicate that obesity is seen as early as the preschool years; with implications for theories of causation and for prevention and treatment strategies.     

Season of birth and prevalence of overweight and obesity in Canada

BACKGROUND:: The contexts of prenatal life, such as one's season of birth, have been shown to influence health later in life. For example, research has shown a disproportionate number of schizophrenic patients are born during the late winter and early spring. The purpose of this study was to examine season of birth as a possible risk for overweight and obesity. METHODOLOGY:: Utilizing cycle 2.1 of the Canadian Community Health Survey, birth data of respondents 12 to 64 years old were examined. The risk associated with season of birth was compared to risks previously identified for overweight and obesity (e.g. physical inactivity, low socioeconomic status etc.). RESULTS:: Overall, among the 20-64 year olds, those in the obese III (BMI>/=40 kg/m(2)) category were 1.54 times more likely to be born in the winter (95% CI: 1.21-1.95). This effect appears largely due to a winter/spring season of birth effect among the obese II/III (BMI>/=35) 20-29 y cohort (Winter OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.08-2.18; Spring OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10-2.18). A summer season of birth effect was observed for the obese II/III 40-49 y cohort (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.21-2.11). No season of birth effects were observed among any BMI categories for those 12-19 years, or among those 20 y and over in the overweight BMI category. CONCLUSION:: A greater proprtion of class III obese Canadians are born during the winter/spring, particularly in the 20-29 y age cohort. However, other factors (e.g. physical inactivity) represent greater risks for obesity than season of birth.     

Recent anthropometric trends among Swedish school children: evidence for decreasing prevalence of overweight in girls

Aim: To assess the recent prevalence of overweight and obesity in 10 year old children in Göteborg, Sweden. Methods: Cross‐sectional data on weight and height from school health examinations, including fourth grade children, born in 1974 (n = 4126), 1990 (n = 4683) and 1994 (n = 4193) and measured in academic years 1984/1985, 2000/2001 and 2004/2005, were used. Weight classification was based on age‐ and sex‐specific body mass index cutoff values. The two latest cohorts were classified according to socio‐economic areas. Results: Between 2000/2001 and 2004/2005, the prevalence of overweight plus obesity in girls decreased from 19.6% to 15.9% (p < 0.01). Prevalence of obesity was 3.0% and 2.5% (nonsignificant), respectively. In boys, all differences between the corresponding cohorts were nonsignificant: 17.1% versus 17.6% were overweight (including obese) and 2.9% versus 2.8% were obese. In 1984/1985, prevalence of overweight plus obesity was only 8.6% among girls and 7.2% among boys, while 0.8% and 0.7% were classified as obese, respectively. The socio‐economic gradient in overweight prevalence remained, particularly in girls. Conclusions: This study suggests that the obesity epidemic in 10–11 year olds may be easing off in urban Sweden, and possibly reversing among girls. Even if future monitoring confirms these findings, much health promoting work still remains since the power of the ‘obesogenic environment’ will probably continue to be strong.     

Nutrition, overnutrition, and obesity in the first year of line in Malm?, Sweden.

The feeding pattern, calorie intake, weight and height were studied at various ages during the first 12 months in 243 infants born in Sweden. The feeding pattern and calorie intake was close to that recommended. 0-6% in each age group were found to be obese (20-40% above the standard weight) and 15-23% overweight (10-20% above the standard weight). The mean calorie intake during the months before and when obesity and overweight were diagnosed exceeded the normal by 10% or less. When re-examined at age 2 plus or minus 1/2 years, 50% of those children obese up to 1 year remained so, and only 2 earlier overweight had become obese. 25% of the obese children had one obese parent, compared with 10% of the normal children and overweight ones. The low incidence of overnutrition and the low freqency of obese and overweight infants in this study compared with previous studies support the idea that high calorie intake is of importance in the development of obesity during infancy. Accordingly, overnutrition seems to be one factor, in the multifactorial aetiology of obesity, and reduction of overnutrition can reduce, but not abolish, infantile obesity. Whether the reduction of this will subsequently prevent adult obesity remains to be proved.     

Activity,inactivity and quality of life among Lebanese adolescents

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate recent overweight and obesity prevalence rates for Lebanese adolescents, and to examine differences in physical activity, screen time (sum of time spent in front of TV, computer, and videogames), and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) for the first time among normal, overweight, and obese adolescents. Methods: One thousand Lebanese adolescents (14–18 years old) from nine schools participated in the study. Height, weight, physical activity, screen time, and HRQOL variables were assessed using validated self‐report questionnaires. Results: A total of 7.8% of boys and 1.75% of girls were obese, and 22.5% of boys and 12.47% of girls were overweight. Normal‐weight boys reported higher physical activity scores at health clubs than obese boys. Normal‐weight girls reported higher leisure time and total physical activity scores than obese girls. In the normal‐weight group, boys reported higher total screen time than girls. Normal‐weight boys reported higher physical functioning scores than their obese peers. Normal‐weight girls reported higher physical functioning and average HRQOL scores than obese girls. Normal‐weight and overweight boys reported higher average HRQOL scores than girls. Conclusion: The present study is the first to provide data on physical activity, screen time, and HRQOL among Lebanese adolescents. Despite the need for further research, all those concerned with the pediatric population are urged to develop and implement effective strategies to increase physical activity and improve HRQOL among adolescents based on the present findings.     

Risk profiles for overweight/obesity among preschoolers

Background

The epidemic of overweight/obesity among U.S. children has led to an alarming increase in health-related consequences, including early-onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Recent research has identified the independent contribution of several maternal and child factors to the development of childhood overweight/obesity. Few studies, however, have examined risk profiles of childhood obesity.

Aim

This study used classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to examine the combined effect of maternal and child factors in generating risk profiles for overweight/obesity among preschoolers.

Study design

Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) study were used. The sample was comprised of preschool children. CART and logistic regression models were built and compared.

Results

Children who were overweight/obese at two years of age had an increased risk of being overweight/obese at four years of age. Children born to overweight/obese mothers were more likely to be overweight/obese by age four, even if their BMI at two years of age was normal. Children with high birth weight (≥ 4000 g.) were also more likely to be overweight/obese at age four years if they were born to mothers with a normal pregravid BMI, but were of a lower socioeconomic status. Among preschoolers whose mothers were black or white and who had a high pregravid BMI, breastfeeding duration and parity played an important role in determining their risk of being overweight/obese.

Conclusions

Classification tree analysis confirms and extends current knowledge of preschool overweight/obesity by providing preliminary risk profiles that are structured within the context of prenatal and postnatal maternal and child characteristics.     

Socio‐economic and ethnic differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children

Aims: To trial the collection of measurements to provide population‐based prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children in western Sydney and examine the association between healthy weight and ethnicity and socio‐economic status (SES) in a socio‐economically and culturally diverse population. Methods: A cross‐sectional population‐based survey of 2341 children in Years 4 and 7 (mean ages 9 and 12 years, respectively) in 2007. Results: Nineteen per cent of children were overweight and a further 6% were obese. The prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was similar for boys and girls (26% vs. 24%, P= 0.35). SES was significantly associated with the prevalence of unhealthy weight: the odds of being overweight or obese were 1.79 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35 to 2.36) higher for children from the lowest quartile than for children from the highest quartile. Compared to children from an English speaking background, children from a non‐English speaking background were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese (21% vs. 31%, P < 0.001). The prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was significantly higher for children from a Pacific Island (odds ratio (OR) 2.66, 95% CI 1.63 to 4.33), Middle Eastern (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.17) or European (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.49) background than for English speaking background children. Conclusion: Large jumps in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children observed from the 1980s appear to be diminishing, with comparable prevalence reports in 2004 and 2007. Ethnicity and SES are each independently associated with the prevalence of unhealthy weight in children.     

Family history and parental recognition of overweight in Croatian children

The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of parents on the weight status of their offspring, particularly in relation to a family history of obesity and obesity-related illnesses. A cross-sectional study of 1,068 child-parent dyads sampled at school entry health examination was conducted (median age of the child 6.75 years, range 5.7-8.3 years, 50.3 % males). The parental perception of the weight status of their child was compared to the body mass index (BMI, kilogram per square meter), calculated from measured weight and height. Weight status (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) was defined using the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI for age reference charts. Backward multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine possible predictors of parental misclassification of overweight/obese children. Among this cohort of children, 12 % were overweight, 10.2 % obese, and 8.1 % were underweight. Only 24.8 % of obese children and 2.2 % of overweight children were considered "overweight" by their parents. A positive family history was not significantly associated with parental recognition of overweight. Parental misperception of overweight/obese children as being normal was related to the child BMI z-score (odds ratio (OR) 0.036; 0.012-0.111) and diabetes in family history (OR 3.187; 1.207-8.413). CONCLUSION: The majority of parents did not perceive their overweight/obese children as overweight. As having an obese family member or one who has suffered from an obesity-related illness does not increase the parental ability to recognize overweight in their children, strategies to increase public awareness about the importance of one's family medical history are needed.     

NUTRITION, OVERNUTRITION, AND OBESITY IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE IN MALMÖ, SWEDEN

ABSTRACT: Sveger, T., Lindberg, T., Weibull, B. and Olsson, U. L. (Department of Paediatrics, Malmö General Hospital, Malmö, Sweden). Nutrition, overnutrition, and obesity in the first year of life in Malmo, Sweden. Acta Paediatr Scand, 64:635, 1975___The feeding pattern, calorie intake, weight and height were studied at various ages during the first 12 months in 243 infants born in Sweden. The feeding pattern and calorie intake was close to that recommended. 0–6% in each age group were found to be obese (20–40% above the standard weight) and 15–23% overweight (10–20% above the standard weight). The mean calorie intake during the months before and when obesity and overweight were diagnosed exceeded the normal by 10% or less. When re-examined at age 2±½ years, 50% of those children obese up to 1 year remained so, and only 2 earlier overweight had become obese. 25 % of the obese children had one obese parent, compared with 10% of the normal children and overweight ones. The low incidence of overnutrition and the low freqency of obese and overweight infants in this study compared with previous studies support the idea that high calorie intake is of importance in the development of obesity during infancy. Accordingly, overnutrition seems to be one factor, in the multifactorial aetiology of obesity, and reduction of overnutrition can reduce, but not abolish, infantile obesity. Whether the reduction of this will subsequently prevent adult obesity remains to be proved.     

An assessment of adolescent overweight and obesity in Xi'an City, China.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the magnitude of overweight and obesity, and its associated socio-demographic factors in adolescents in Xi'an city, China. METHODS: A total of 1804 adolescents attending junior high schools in Xi'an City (age: 11-17 years) were included in this cross-sectional study. Body mass index using IOTF cut-offs defined overweight and obesity. Socio-demographic information was collected from the parents of the survey participants using self-administered, structured and pre-coded questionnaires. RESULTS: Overall, 16.3% of adolescents were overweight or obese, but there was a marked gender difference in the prevalence with 19.4% (95% CI: 15.6% - 23.7%) of boys versus 13.2% (95% CI: 10.0% - 16.4%) ofthe girls being overweight or obese. In a multivariate model, age, residence, household wealth, and parents' body mass index were significantly associated with being overweight/obese (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age and gender, the odds of an adolescent being overweight or obese was 2.7 times (95% CI: 1.8 - 4.0) higher in urban areas compared to rural areas; and 1.6 times (95% CI: 1.04 - 2.5) higher for adolescents from rich compared to poor families. An adolescent with one or both parents being overweight was 1.8 times (95% CI: 1.3 - 2.5) more likely to be overweight themselves compared to those with normal weight parents. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Overweight and obesity is a major public health problem in adolescents in Xi'an City and is likely to increase rapidly in the near future; 2) Overweight and obesity is more prevalent in younger boys from richer families living in urban districts and whose parents were either overweight or obese.     

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in a Large Clinical Sample of Children With Autism

BackgroundOverweight and obesity are major pediatric public health problems in the United States; however, limited data exist on the prevalence and correlates of overnutrition in children with autism.MethodsThrough a large integrated health care system's patient database, we identified 6672 children ages 2 to 20 years with an assigned ICD-9 code of autism (299.0), Asperger syndrome (299.8), and control subjects from 2008 to 2011 who had at least 1 weight and height recorded in the same visit. We calculated age-adjusted, sex-adjusted body mass index and classified children as overweight (body mass index 85th to 95th percentile) or obese (≥95th percentile). We used multinomial logistic regression to compare the odds of overweight and obesity between groups. We then used logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with overweight and obesity in children with autism, including demographic and clinical characteristics.ResultsCompared to control subjects, children with autism and Asperger syndrome had significantly higher odds of overweight (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: autism 2.24, 1.74–2.88; Asperger syndrome 1.49, 1.12–1.97) and obesity (autism 4.83, 3.85–6.06; Asperger syndrome 5.69, 4.50–7.21). Among children with autism, we found a higher odds of obesity in older children (aged 12–15 years 1.87, 1.33–2.63; aged 16–20 years 1.94, 1.39–2.71) compared to children aged 6 to 11 years. We also found higher odds of overweight and obesity in those with public insurance (overweight 1.54, 1.25–1.89; obese 1.16, 1.02–1.40) and with co-occurring sleep disorder (obese 1.23, 1.00–1.53).ConclusionsChildren with autism and Asperger syndrome had significantly higher odds of overweight and obesity than control subjects. Older age, public insurance, and co-occurring sleep disorder were associated with overweight or obesity in this population.     

Obesity and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Iranian children: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a growing public health problem in developing countries considering its association with cardiovascular risk factors. Relationship between childhood obesity and these risk factors has not been attested in the Iranian population before. The aim of the present study was to investigate frequency of cardiovascular risk factors and their association with severity of obesity in a sample of Iranian obese children. METHODS: A total of 13 086 children aged 7-12 years were screened and those with waist circumference = 90th percentile of their age were invited for further evaluations. Participants were divided into two groups of overweight or obese according to International Obesity Task Force criteria. Cardiovascular risk factors were defined as high fasting total cholesterol, high low density lipoprotein, low high density lipoprotein, high triglycerides, and systolic or diastolic hypertension. These factors were compared between obese and overweight children and their correlations with body mass index and other measures of obesity were tested. RESULTS: Of 532 children (274 boys, mean age 9.5 +/- 1.3) enrolled in the study, 194 were overweight and 338 were obese. Mean levels of triglyceride and Apo-lipoprotein B in obese children were significantly higher than overweight participants. A total of 81.9% of obese children and 75.4% of overweight children had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. There were significant correlations between body mass index and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum triglyceride, and Apo-lipoprotein B levels (P values <0.01). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese children and positive correlation of these factors with severity of obesity emphasizes the need for prevention and control of childhood obesity from early stages.     

A comparison study of the prevalence of overweight and obese Italian preschool children using different reference standards

Introduction The number of overweight children is constantly increasing in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Most epidemiological surveys consider school age children with little attention being given to preschool age children. This study was undertaken to define the prevalence of being overweight or obese in a population of children 3–6 years of age, living in North-East Italy. We also identified differences when comparing body mass index (BMI) data against three different national and international standards.Subjects and methods The study involved 258 children (124 males and 134 females) with an average age of 4.8 years. Weight and height were obtained for each child and BMI was calculated according to the formula weight (kg)/height (m)². The prevalence of overweight and obese subjects was then determined using the growth curves of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the growth curves of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the curves published in 2003 by Luciano et al.Results All three methods gave similar, but not identical, estimates of the prevalence of overweight in both boys and girls. However, when determining the prevalence of obesity, the use of the CDC curves led to a significantly higher prevalence of obesity in both males and females when compared to the growth charts of the IOTF and Luciano et al.Background The use of the CDC growth curves leads to an increase in the prevalence of obesity when evaluating children under 5 years of age. The lower cut-off values inherent in the CDC charts, in contrast to the ones proposed by the IOTF, allow for earlier identification of a larger number of subjects with weight problems and therefore provide the potential for earlier intervention.     

Prevalence of glucose intolerance in school age children. Population based cross-sectional study

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of glucose intolerance among school children in south-eastern Poland. METHODS: Schools were randomly selected in the area and the entire school population was studied. We examined 1083 children (510 boys and 573 girls) in the mean age 14.49 years (age range: 7.9-19 years). Their weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Patients were classified as overweight or obese based on International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. We tested fasting glucose level in randomly selected children with normal weight (N=83) in all overweight and obese subjects (N=229). In children with fasting blood glucose level higher than 5.5 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. RESULTS: About 17.8% of children were overweight and 4.6% obese. Fasting hyperglycemia was found in 16.7% obese children. The calculated prevalence of fasting hyperglycemia for entire population was 6.7/1000. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was found only in obese children. The prevalence of glucose intolerance in obese children was 7.1%, in contrast the calculated prevalence of glucose intolerance for the entire population was 3.0/1000 (95% confidence interval: 0-8.4/1000). CONCLUSION: Despite relatively high number of obese children, the prevalence of IGT among schoolchildren of south-eastern Poland remains low.