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South Australian four-year-old Aboriginal children: residence and socioeconomic status influence weight

Nicola J Spurrier1, Robert E Volkmer, Christina Abi Abdallah

  • 1University of Adelaide, South Australia. nicola.spurrier@health.sa.gov.au

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
|June 8, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is rising in Australia. Aboriginal children aged four have significantly higher rates of overweight and obesity compared to non-Aboriginal children, indicating a critical public health concern.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Public Health
  • Anthropometry
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity rates have escalated in Australia over the past 15 years.
  • Limited population data exists on overweight and obesity prevalence among Aboriginal children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Aboriginal children.
  • To compare weight status between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized anthropometric data from 11,859 four-year-old children collected during 2009 preschool health checks.
  • Applied age and gender-specific International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-points to classify weight status.

Main Results:

  • Aboriginal children (3% of the study population) exhibited significantly higher rates of overweight and obesity (28%) compared to non-Aboriginal children (18%).
  • A statistically significant association between higher Body Mass Index z-score (BMIz) and identifying as Aboriginal persisted after controlling for rural/urban residence and socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

  • Aboriginal children demonstrate higher rates of overweight and obesity by age four.
  • Interventions are needed to support maternal and child health, focusing on nutrition and growth management for Aboriginal children.
Abstract

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