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Weight changes of children in 1 year during COVID-19 pandemic

Si-Hwa Gwag1, Ye Rim Oh1, Jae Wook Ha2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM
|December 9, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown led to significant weight gain in Korean children, with an increase in overweight and obesity rates. School closures correlated with these concerning weight trends.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread school closures and social distancing measures.
  • Home confinement during the pandemic was associated with increased weight gain in children and adolescents.
  • Investigating pandemic-related weight changes in pediatric populations is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine weight change trends in children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To analyze Body Mass Index (BMI) and BMI z-score changes over one year.
  • To determine the shift in overweight and obesity prevalence among children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 139 children (6-12 years) attending a pediatric endocrine clinic.
  • Assessment of BMI, BMI z-score, and overweight/obesity proportions over a 1-year period.
  • Data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic for growth follow-up.

Main Results:

  • Significant increases in BMI and BMI z-scores were observed over the year.
  • The most substantial weight gain occurred in the first three months of the pandemic.
  • Overweight and obesity prevalence rose from 24.5% to 38.1% within one year (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 lockdowns significantly contributed to weight gain in Korean children.
  • Weight change trends varied based on the extent of school closures.
  • A notable shift from normal weight to overweight or obesity was evident during the pandemic.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19childhood obesitylockdownschool closureweight changes

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