Trajectories of Overweight Among US School Children: A Focus on Social and Economic Characteristics

Abstract

Much of the research examining the patterns, timing, and socioeconomic characteristics of child overweight has been limited by the lack of longitudinal nationally representative data with sufficiently large or diverse samples. We used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), a nationally representative sample of US kindergartners, to identify three distinct patterns of weight gain from kindergarten through eighth grade. The largest group (boys: 59%, girls: 55%) was characterized as having consistently normal weight whereby BMI percentile remained below the 85th percentile. The remaining children (boys: 41%, girls: 45%) fell either into a class characterized as always overweight/at risk of overweight (boys: 27%, girls: 25%) or gradually becoming overweight/at risk for overweight (boys: 15%, girls 20%). We found some evidence that the relationship between socioeconomic status and children’s health may operate differently across gender. Among girls, low parental income and education were both significant risk factors for the gradual onset of overweight after beginning Kindergarten. Parental income or changes in parental income were not related to boys’ risk of developing overweight after entering Kindergarten; only parents’ education. We found that while children of immigrants display higher levels of overweight / at risk for overweight at each grade level, the children of immigrant parents who have had less exposure to the US were more likely to experience early and sustained overweight throughout elementary and middle school, particularly among boys. High rates of overweight as early as kindergarten, combined with race/ethnic differences suggest that interventions should focus on pre-school children’s environments.

Heterogeneity of sex-stratified BMI trajectories in children from 8 to 14years old

“…In an effort to better understand weight changes and obesity onset in children, growth trajectories have been recommended for tracking overweight longitudinally in youths [5]. In line with that recommendation, most recent studies aiming to understand weight changes in children and adolescents have relied on within-person trajectories obtained from growth mixture modeling [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Together, these studies offer an interesting view of weight gain in children and suggest a need to better understand sexual differences and psychosocial predictors of weight changes for preadolescents of all weights and heights.…”

Risk factors of overweight and obesity among preschool children with different ethnic background

“…In the past 25 years, the prevalence of overweight and obese children quadrupled, from roughly four to sixteen percent [1]. It is important to document both the prevalence of overweight and the timing of weight gain in children because those who experience early onset weight gain are more likely to be heavier in adulthood than children with later onset [2].…”

“…It is important to document both the prevalence of overweight and the timing of weight gain in children because those who experience early onset weight gain are more likely to be heavier in adulthood than children with later onset [2]. Overweight children are more likely to become obese adults [1,3].…”

“…For example, if at-risk children tend to be overweight at kindergarten, interventions should focus on the preschool environments (families and childcare facilities) rather than on elementary schools [1].…”

The Influence of Parental Participation on Obesity Interventions in African American Adolescent Females: An Integrative Review

“…Clearly, obesity is a complex condition stemming from multiple influences. Prevalence rates of childhood obesity have increased substantially over the past decades (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014), and affect immediate and long-term health concerns as children and adolescents who are overweight and obese are more likely to be obese as adults (Balistreri & Hook, 2011;Fletcher, Cooper, Helms, Northington, & Winters, 2009;Wickrama, Wickrama, & Bryant, 2006). African American adolescent females have greater disparities in both prevalence of obesity and reduced effectiveness of weight reduction interventions (Barr-Anderson, Adams-Wynn, DiSantis, & Kumanyika, 2013).…”