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The Marshfield Youth Health Study: design, objectives and cohort characteristics
Laura A Coleman1, Bickol N Mukesh, Po-Huang Chyou
1Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Epidemiology Research Center-ML2, WI 54449, USA. coleman.laura@mcrf.mfldclin.edu
Problem:
The Marshfield Youth (MY) Health Study was designed to identify parental and infant factors associated with childhood and adolescent overweight.
Methods:
The study examined 867 children (age 5-17 years) from the Marshfield Public Schools. Heights and weights were measured by standard methods. Age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) percentiles and z-scores were determined. Definitions of overweight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were applied. Family characteristics were self-reported by questionnaire and included parents' BMI, employment, education, smoking, physical activity; and child's daycare attendance, and television/computer use. Maternal and child medical records were reviewed.
Results:
The MY Health cohort included 361 families. The mean +/- SD age of the children was 12.1 +/- 3.0 yrs; 511 (59%) were born in Marshfield, Wis. Of the children studied, 70% had a healthy body weight (BMI >5th and <85th percentile); 14.4% were at risk of overweight (BMI > or = 85th and <95th percentile) and 13% were overweight (BMI > or = 95th percentile). There were no differences in gender or weight status between the study cohort and all Marshfield school children (n=2782).
Conclusions:
Children in the MY Health Study are representative of all school-age children in Marshfield. This cohort will be studied to identify factors associated with overweight among children.
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