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Seasonal Variability in Weight Gain Among American Indian, Black, White, and Hispanic Children: A 3.5-Year Study

Taylor S Lane1, Derek L Sonderegger2, Whitney M Holeva-Eklund3

  • 1Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|February 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children gain more weight during summer, especially those who are obese. American Indian/Alaskan Native children show less seasonal weight gain but higher obesity rates, highlighting summer as a key prevention period.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric obesity research
  • Seasonal weight variability
  • Ethnic disparities in child health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Studies indicate children gain more weight during summer months.
  • Limited longitudinal research exists on summer weight gain in American Indian/Alaskan Native children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine seasonal weight variability over 3.5 years in a diverse pediatric population.
  • To specifically include and analyze data from American Indian/Alaskan Native children.
  • To compare seasonal weight changes across different ethnic groups.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal observational study analyzing height and weight data from 2012-2015.
  • Inclusion of 7,890 children with at least two consecutive measurements.
  • Mixed-effects models used to assess BMI percentile and BMI differences by season and ethnicity.

Main Results:

  • Obesity rates were higher in American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic, and Black children compared to White children.
  • BMI percentile significantly increased during summer, particularly for obese and overweight children.
  • Seasonal weight gain effects were less pronounced in American Indian/Alaskan Native children than in White children.

Conclusions:

  • Summer is a critical period for childhood obesity prevention efforts.
  • Children who are overweight or obese experience the most significant summer weight gain.
  • Seasonal weight gain patterns may differ among American Indian/Alaskan Native children, warranting further investigation.
Abstract

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