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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Obesity prevalence in low-income preschool children in Oklahoma

Ashley E Weedn1, Siew C Ang, Carrie L Zeman

  • 1University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Ashley-Weedn@ouhsc.edu

Clinical Pediatrics
|April 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Obesity affects 30.7% of low-income Oklahoma preschoolers. American Indian and Hispanic children show higher obesity rates, indicating a need for targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Low-income preschool children are particularly vulnerable to nutritional challenges.
  • Understanding race/ethnic disparities in obesity is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in low-income preschool children in Oklahoma.
  • To identify potential race/ethnic disparities in obesity rates among these children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 39,151 children aged 2-4 years enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Oklahoma during 2009.
  • Calculated body mass index (BMI) percentiles using child's height, weight, sex, and age.

Main Results:

  • In 2009, 30.7% of Oklahoma WIC children were overweight, with 13.7% classified as obese.
  • Significant race/ethnic disparities were observed, particularly for obesity: American Indian (18.8%) and Hispanic (17.2%) children had higher prevalence compared to non-Hispanic whites (11.8%).
  • African American children showed lower obesity prevalence (OR = 0.9).

Conclusions:

  • Obesity rates are disproportionately high among American Indian and Hispanic low-income preschool children in Oklahoma.
  • Interventions specifically targeting these high-risk racial/ethnic groups are warranted to address these disparities.
Abstract

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