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Short, thin, or obese? Comparing growth indexes of children from high- and low-poverty areas
B Sherry1, D A Springer, F A Connell
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195.
Insights
Childhood obesity is prevalent in Washington state first graders, particularly in low-poverty areas. High-poverty areas show increased rates of short stature, indicating a need for school-based health programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Growth Monitoring
- Socioeconomic Factors in Child Development
Background:
- Childhood growth and development are influenced by socioeconomic status.
- Poverty can impact children's nutritional status and overall health.
- Growth deviations, including obesity and short stature, require monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare growth indexes of first-grade children in high-poverty versus low-poverty areas of Washington state.
- To identify the prevalence of growth deviations such as obesity and short stature.
- To assess the effectiveness of school lunch financial support criteria in identifying at-risk children.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of growth indexes (weight-for-height, height-for-age) using National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth standards.
- Study population: first-grade white children from high-poverty (n=281) and low-poverty (n=442) areas in Washington state.
- Evaluation of school lunch eligibility criteria against observed growth parameters.
Main Results:
- Obesity (weight-for-height >90th percentile) was more common in the low-poverty area (18%) compared to the high-poverty area (12%).
- Short stature (height-for-age <10th percentile) was nearly twice as likely in the high-poverty area (9%) versus the low-poverty area (5%).
- School lunch financial support criteria did not accurately identify children with reduced weight or short stature.
Conclusions:
- Childhood obesity is a significant concern, even in low-poverty settings.
- Children in high-poverty areas face a greater risk of short stature.
- School-based growth screening, weight management, and physical fitness programs are essential for early identification and intervention of childhood obesity and growth issues.
Abstract:
This study compared the growth indexes of first-grade, white children living in geographic areas of high poverty (n = 281) and low poverty (n = 442) in the state of Washington. Obesity was the most common growth deviance observed in these children. In the low-poverty area, 18% of children had a weight for height greater than the 90th percentile on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth standards, whereas only 12% of children from the high-poverty area were in this category. Neither area had high numbers of children with reduced weight for height (less than the 10th percentile on the NCHS growth standards), but children from the high-poverty area were almost twice as likely to be short for their age; 9% of children from the high-poverty area and 5% of children from the low-poverty area had height-for-age values less than the 10th percentile on the NCHS growth standards. Criteria used to determine students' eligibility for financial support for school lunch did not accurately identify children who were thin or short. The prevalence of obesity in these first-grade children suggests that school-based growth screening as well as weight management and physical fitness programs are needed to identify and avert childhood obesity.