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Updated: Sep 7, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
The relationship between body mass index and children's presentations to a tertiary pediatric emergency department
Valentina Ferro1, Antonella Mosca2, Francesca Crea1
1Emergency Pediatric Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza S. Onofrio 4, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Childhood obesity increases emergency department visits and injury risk, particularly fractures in school-aged children. Early identification in the ED is crucial for intervention and referral.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing concern with significant healthcare implications.
- Obesity and overweight are linked to increased emergency department (ED) utilization.
- This study focuses on the impact of excess body weight on children presenting to the ED, especially with injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of obesity and overweight in children admitted to the ED.
- To specifically examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and injury diagnoses in pediatric ED patients.
- To identify risk factors for obesity and overweight in this population.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed patients aged 6-18 years.
- Patients were classified into normal weight (BMI < 85th percentile), overweight (BMI 85th-95th percentile), and obese (BMI ≥ 95th percentile).
- Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors and associations between BMI and injury diagnoses.
Main Results:
- School age, male gender, and frequent ED visits were predictive factors for overweight and obesity.
- Obese children had a lower overall risk of injury compared to normal-weight children.
- However, obese and overweight school-aged children were more likely to sustain fractures, particularly lower extremity fractures and dislocated fractures.
Conclusions:
- School-aged children presenting to the ED are at higher risk for excess body weight and subsequent fracture risk if obese or overweight.
- The ED serves as a critical setting for identifying children with high BMI and related comorbidities.
- Timely specialist referral for these children, especially school-aged ones, is recommended to mitigate health risks.
Background:
The child obesity and its complications are associated with an alarming increased health care use, including the emergency department (ED). We evaluated the effects of the obesity and overweight in children admitted to ED, especially in patients with injury diagnosis.
Methods:
A retrospective study of patients aged 6-18 years was conducted. Patients were categorized into normal weight (body mass index, BMI < 85th); overweight (BMI ≥ 85th e < 95th); obesity (BMI ≥ 95th). Multiple logistic analysis was used for estimation of risk factors associated with the BMI and to explore the association between injury diagnosis and BMI.
Results:
The predictive factors associated with obesity and overweight were school age (p < 0.001), male gender (p < 0.001) and number of visits for year (obesity: p < 0.001 and overweight: p < 0.05). Obese children were less at injury risk than normal weight (p < 0.05). In injury subset, fractures in school age were more likely to occur in obesity (p < 0.01). Dislocated fractures (p < 0.01) and fractures at lower extremity were more likely to occur in obesity and overweight (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
School age children presenting to ED are more at risk of excess body weight than adolescents and are at higher fracture risk if obese and overweight. This has clear implication to support the efforts to reduce the obesity in childhood. The ED may represent a crucial setting for the early identification of these children and of co-morbidities related BMI ≥ 85th, and for a timely specialist referral of these children, especially if school age.
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