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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Stature, weight, and body mass among young US children born at term with appropriate birth weights

M D Overpeck1, M L Hediger, W J Ruan

  • 1Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7510, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 10, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood size differences influence later overweight prevalence. Mexican American children show higher body mass index (BMI) before age 7, impacting adult health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Growth and Development
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Childhood weight and stature tracking into adulthood is a significant public health concern.
  • Early life factors are critical determinants of long-term health trajectories.
  • Understanding pre-school growth patterns is essential for predicting adolescent and adult overweight prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze weight, stature, and body mass index (BMI) changes in children before age 7.
  • To investigate how these early-life growth parameters influence later overweight prevalence across different ethnic groups.
  • To determine if prenatal factors mediate or independently influence these size differences.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized regression models to predict height and weight from 2 months to 6.75 years.
  • Employed data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).
  • Adjusted for birth weight and gestational age using birth certificate data for ethnic-specific analyses.

Main Results:

  • Non-Hispanic black children exhibited greater attained height compared to non-Hispanic white and Mexican American children.
  • After adjustments, weights at 2 months, 2 years, and 6.75 years were similar across racial/ethnic groups.
  • Mexican American children (boys 25.6%, girls 21.9%) showed higher prevalences of BMI above the 85th percentile compared to non-Hispanic whites and blacks by age 6.75.

Conclusions:

  • Pre-school size differences significantly predict ethnic-specific overweight prevalence in later life.
  • These early growth patterns appear to influence future obesity risk independently of prenatal factors.
  • Targeted interventions may be necessary for specific ethnic groups showing higher early-life BMI percentiles.
Abstract

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