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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
A comparison study of the prevalence of overweight and obese Italian preschool children using different reference
Enrico Vidal1, Eva Carlin, Daniela Driul
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Udine, School of Medicine, P.le S. M. della Misericordia, Udine, 33100, Italy. enrico.vidal@inwind.it
Insights
Childhood obesity is rising, with different growth charts impacting prevalence estimates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) charts identify more obese children under five, enabling earlier intervention for weight problems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Rising rates of overweight and obesity in children globally.
- Limited focus on preschool-aged children in epidemiological surveys.
- Need to evaluate prevalence in 3-6 year olds in North-East Italy.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children (3-6 years) in North-East Italy.
- Compare Body Mass Index (BMI) data against three different standards: CDC, International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and Luciano et al. (2003).
Main Methods:
- Study included 258 children (124 males, 134 females) aged 4.8 years on average.
- Weight and height measured to calculate BMI (kg/m²).
- Prevalence determined using CDC, IOTF, and Luciano et al. growth curves.
Main Results:
- All three methods yielded similar overweight prevalence estimates for boys and girls.
- CDC curves showed significantly higher obesity prevalence in both sexes compared to IOTF and Luciano et al. charts.
- CDC charts identified more cases of obesity, particularly in children under five.
Conclusions:
- Different growth charts yield varying obesity prevalence rates in preschool children.
- CDC growth curves may overestimate obesity prevalence but allow for earlier identification of weight issues.
- Earlier identification via CDC charts offers potential for timely intervention in at-risk children.
Introduction:
The number of overweight children is constantly increasing in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Most epidemiological surveys consider school age children with little attention being given to preschool age children. This study was undertaken to define the prevalence of being overweight or obese in a population of children 3-6 years of age, living in North-East Italy. We also identified differences when comparing body mass index (BMI) data against three different national and international standards.
Subjects And Methods:
The study involved 258 children (124 males and 134 females) with an average age of 4.8 years. Weight and height were obtained for each child and BMI was calculated according to the formula weight (kg)/height (m)(2). The prevalence of overweight and obese subjects was then determined using the growth curves of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the growth curves of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the curves published in 2003 by Luciano et al.
Results:
All three methods gave similar, but not identical, estimates of the prevalence of overweight in both boys and girls. However, when determining the prevalence of obesity, the use of the CDC curves led to a significantly higher prevalence of obesity in both males and females when compared to the growth charts of the IOTF and Luciano et al.
Background:
The use of the CDC growth curves leads to an increase in the prevalence of obesity when evaluating children under 5 years of age. The lower cut-off values inherent in the CDC charts, in contrast to the ones proposed by the IOTF, allow for earlier identification of a larger number of subjects with weight problems and therefore provide the potential for earlier intervention.
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