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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Prevalence and ethnicity of sleep-disordered breathing and obesity in children

Emily F Rudnick1, Jonathan S Walsh, Mark C Hampton

  • 1University of Washington School of Medicine, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. emily.rudnick@seattlechildrens.org

Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
|November 27, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) undergoing adenotonsillectomy show higher obesity rates compared to the general pediatric population. Obese African American children are also more likely to have SDB.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a growing concern in pediatric populations.
  • Obesity is a significant comorbidity associated with various health issues in children.
  • Adenotonsillectomy is a common surgical intervention for SDB in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of obesity in children with SDB undergoing adenotonsillectomy against the general pediatric population.
  • To identify potential risk factors for SDB in obese children, particularly within specific ethnic groups.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional controlled study design was employed.
  • Body-mass-index (BMI-for-age) percentiles were assessed for children with SDB and matched controls.
  • Statistical analyses included t tests, chi-squared analysis, and logistic regression to compare groups and estimate risk factors.

Main Results:

  • The study included 299 children, with 56.9% diagnosed with SDB.
  • Children with SDB exhibited higher rates of obesity (46% vs. 33%) and underweight (8% vs. 3%) compared to controls.
  • A significant association was found between obesity and SDB in African American children (OR, 2.22; P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Children with SDB requiring adenotonsillectomy are disproportionately more likely to be obese than their peers in general pediatric clinics.
  • Obesity presents a heightened risk for SDB among African American children.
  • These findings highlight the critical link between pediatric obesity and sleep-disordered breathing.
Abstract

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