Risk Factors for Obesity in Five-Year-Old Children: Based on Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Data

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
• Early identification of risk factors is essential for effective prevention strategies.
• Understanding specific risk factors in diverse populations is critical for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key risk factors associated with obesity in five-year-old children.
• To analyze demographic, developmental, maternal, and behavioral factors contributing to childhood obesity.
• To provide data for developing targeted early intervention programs for childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, including screenings at ages three and five.
• Included 26,047 children with available data from multiple screening phases and maternal health records.
• Employed hierarchical multiple logistic regression to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risk factors.

Main Results:

• Identified significant risk factors including female sex, birth weight over 4 kg, developmental screening remarks ('caution/refer'), maternal obesity, and middle-level income.
• Highlighted behavioral factors such as good appetite, high milk consumption, frequent sweet food intake, rapid eating, irregular meal patterns, large portion sizes, high intake of oily/salty foods, and lack of physical activity at age five.
• Female sex, high birth weight, developmental concerns, maternal obesity, and middle income were identified as key risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Modifiable behavioral factors and identified demographic/clinical risk factors can guide early intervention efforts.
• Targeting high-risk children based on these factors is essential for preventing childhood obesity.
• The study provides valuable insights for public health initiatives aimed at curbing childhood obesity rates.