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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Obesity and pulmonary function in Navajo and Hopi children
Joey C Eisenmann1, David A Arnall, Verdell Kanuho
1Department of Health and Human Performance, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50010, USA. jce@iastate.edu
Insights
Childhood obesity negatively impacts lung function in Navajo and Hopi children. Obese children showed decreased pulmonary function (forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume) compared to normal-weight peers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Obesity Research
- Native American Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity is linked to cardiovascular and metabolic risks.
- Limited research exists on childhood obesity's effects on pulmonary function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of obesity on lung function in Navajo and Hopi children.
- To analyze pulmonary function metrics in relation to weight status.
Main Methods:
- 813 Navajo and Hopi children (ages 6-12) were classified by BMI (normal, overweight, obese).
- Pulmonary function tests including forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were performed.
- Measurements followed American Thoracic Society standards.
Main Results:
- 16% of children were obese; overweight children showed increased pulmonary function.
- Obese children exhibited reduced pulmonary function compared to normal-weight children.
- Significant differences in FEV1%, FEF25-75 (boys), FVC, and FEV1 (girls) were observed across weight groups.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric obesity has detrimental pulmonary consequences.
- Findings highlight adverse health outcomes of obesity in Native American children.
- Supports the need for interventions addressing childhood obesity and its respiratory effects.
Background:
Although several reports have shown an adverse cardiovascular and metabolic risk profile associated with childhood obesity, few reports have examined the effects of childhood obesity on pulmonary function.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of obesity on pulmonary function in Navajo and Hopi children.
Methods:
Subjects included 256 (110 males, 146 females) Hopi children 6-12 years of age and 557 (274 males, 283 females) Navajo children 6-12 years of age (N = 813). The body mass index was used to classify subjects as normal weight, overweight, or obese on the basis of international reference values. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1% (FEV1 to FVC ratio; FEV1/FVC), and forced expiratory flow between 25%-75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75) were determined according to the American Thoracic Society recommendations.
Results:
Approximately 26% of Navajo and Hopi children were defined as overweight additional 16% (14.6% of boys and 17.7% of girls) were defined as obese. In general, the patterns showed an increase in pulmonary function between normal weight and overweight children and a decrease in pulmonary function of obese children. Significant differences among groups existed for FEV1% and FEF25-75 in boys and FVC and FEV1 in girls.
Conclusions:
The results indicate the pulmonary consequences of obesity in children and provide further evidence of the adverse consequences of pediatric obesity among Native Americans.
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