Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 20, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

27.3K

COVID-19‒Related Childhood BMI Increases in China: A Health Surveillance‒Based Ambispective Cohort Analysis

Wenxin Ge1, Jia Hu2, Yue Xiao1

  • 1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|June 10, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased Body Mass Index (BMI) gain and obesity prevalence in Chinese children aged 8-12 years. Public health strategies are urgently needed to address this rise in childhood obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on childhood Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity rates, particularly in China, remains unclear.
  • Understanding these changes is crucial for developing targeted health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the changes in BMI and obesity prevalence among Chinese children aged 8-12 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To analyze the pandemic's specific effects on BMI z-score and overall BMI changes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 72,175 children (aged 8-12) in Suzhou, China (2017-2020).
  • Calculated yearly BMI z-score and age/sex-adjusted BMI changes before (2017-2019) and during (2019-2020) the pandemic.
  • Employed multivariate mixed linear models to compare annual BMI change rates.

Main Results:

  • Obesity prevalence rose from 13.28% in 2019 to 15.29% in 2020.
  • Mean yearly BMI z-score change increased significantly during the pandemic (0.131) compared to pre-pandemic (0.039).
  • BMI changes were more pronounced in boys and in children who were underweight or normal weight before the pandemic.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased BMI gain in Chinese children aged 8-12.
  • Effective public health policies are essential to mitigate pandemic-related childhood obesity risks.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

23.7K
Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography03:35

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: December 1, 2023

383

Related Concept Videos

Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
631
Bias in Epidemiological Studies01:29

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:  
713
Bulimia Nervosa01:30

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by a cyclical pattern of binge-and-purge eating pattern. It generally involves an episode of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting, to prevent weight gain. Despite often maintaining a normal weight, individuals with bulimia are intensely preoccupied with their body image and harbor an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. This can contribute to the...
210