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Overweight and Obesity in Children under 5 Years: Surveillance Opportunities and Challenges for the WHO European
Rebecca E Jones1, Jo Jewell2, Rhea Saksena3
1Nutrition and Health Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Insights
Childhood obesity surveillance in the WHO European Region shows 35 countries report data for children under 5 years. Prevalence varies widely, highlighting the need for consistent methods to inform interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Global Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity before puberty often leads to adult obesity, increasing health risks.
- Preschool years (ages 0-5) are critical for establishing healthy habits and growth.
- Effective surveillance of early childhood overweight and obesity can guide policy and interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and report prevalence data on overweight and obesity in children under 5 years within WHO European Region Member States.
- To assess the capacity of these countries to accurately report on childhood obesity rates.
Main Methods:
- A rapid review was conducted on studies published between 1998 and 2015.
- Data focused on overweight and obesity prevalence in children aged 0-5 years.
- The geographical scope was limited to WHO European Region member states.
Main Results:
- Prevalence data for children under 5 years is available from 35 out of 53 member states.
- Significant inconsistencies in study methodologies were observed, limiting cross-country comparability.
- Overweight and obesity prevalence rates in this age group range from 1% to 28.6% across reporting countries.
Conclusions:
- Despite measurement challenges, opportunities exist to enhance existing surveillance systems for early childhood overweight and obesity in the WHO European Region.
- Standardizing methodologies is crucial for accurate and comparable data collection.
- Leveraging current surveillance resources can improve understanding and management of childhood obesity.
Background:
Many children who have overweight or obesity before puberty can develop obesity in early adulthood, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The preschool years (ages 0-5) represents a point of opportunity for children to be active, develop healthy eating habits, and maintain healthy growth. Surveillance of childhood overweight and obesity in this age group can help inform future policies and interventions.
Objective:
To review and report available prevalence data in WHO European Region Member States and determine how many countries can accurately report on rates of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years.
Methods:
We conducted a rapid review of studies reporting on overweight and obesity prevalence in children ages 0-5 in the WHO European region member states from 1998 to 2015.
Results:
Currently, 35 of the 53 member states have data providing prevalence rates for overweight and obesity for children under 5 years. There was little consistency in study methods, impacting comparability across countries. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years ranges from 1 to 28.6% across member states.
Conclusion:
Although measuring overweight and obesity in this age group may be challenging, there is an opportunity to leverage existing surveillance resources in the WHO European Region.