Prevalence of Obesity Among US Preschool Children in Different Racial and Ethnic Groups

Abstract

Setting: Nationally representative sample of US children born in 2001. Participants: Height and weight were measured in 2005 in approximately 8550 children who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. Main Exposure: Racial/ethnic group.Outcome Measure: Prevalence of obesity, defined as body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age of the sex-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts.Results: Obesity prevalence among 4-year-old US children (mean age, 52.3 months) was 18.4% (95% confi- METHODS SAMPLE AND STUDY DESIGNWe analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B),

Socioeconomic inequality in overweight/obesity among US children: NHANES 2001 to 2018

“…Our findings are consistent with previous research that found a significant decrease in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children aged 2–5 years between 2003–04 and 2011–12 ( 1 , 31 ) and reported that overweight/obesity varies by ethnic groups, with African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans being more affected than non-Hispanic Whites ( 4 , 32 ). There are hereditary risks for childhood obesity that have been described.…”

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Hispanic Preschool Children in San Luis Obispo County, California

“…Our findings are consistent with others and suggest a considerable ethnic/racial disparity in obesity rates in children (Anderson & Whitaker, 2009;Wang & Beydoun, 2007). The impact race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or a host of modifiable factors such as dietary patterns, physical activity, sleep and stress may play in this scenario need to be better understood as they relate to the development of overweight and obesity in young children.…”

Associations between gestational exposure to neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation and early childhood weight status

“…As previously mentioned, children of Black, but not Hispanic or White, gestational parents who experienced exposure to high compared to low NSD had significantly higher odds of having overweight or obesity at age 1. This is consistent with the literature, which has shown that NH Black children experience a higher risk of having obesity than NH White children 19–22 . Further, the literature shows that NSD may have a stronger impact on incidence of obesity for Black compared to White children.…”