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Who is becoming overweight during the elementary school years?
M Yoshinaga1, C Koriyama, A Shimago
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan. m-yoshi@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Summary
The risk of first graders becoming overweight is high, especially for girls who remain overweight. The overall risk of overweight is increasing in boys throughout elementary school.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Public health
- Childhood obesity
Background:
- Childhood overweight is a growing public health concern.
- Early identification of risk factors is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risk of overweight in first graders throughout elementary school.
- To examine trends in overweight risk by sex.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive study with 12,588 boys and 12,264 girls.
- Surveys conducted in first and seventh grades (6-year follow-up).
- Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile cut-offs used to define overweight.
Main Results:
- High odds ratios for remaining overweight from first to seventh grade (boys: 35.0, girls: 63.9).
- Thresholds for overweight risk identified at 81st percentile (boys) and 87th percentile (girls).
- Significant increase in overall overweight risk observed in boys (P=0.009).
Conclusions:
- First grade BMI percentile predicts later overweight status.
- Girls have a higher risk of remaining overweight; boys show an increasing population trend.
- Sex-specific trends in overweight risk highlight the need for tailored interventions.