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Trends in overweight and obesity in Bergen, Norway, using data from routine child healthcare 2010-2022

Melissa R Balthasar1,2, Mathieu Roelants3, Bente Brannsether-Ellingsen1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|June 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Childhood overweight and obesity decreased in Norwegian boys pre-pandemic but increased during the pandemic. Routine health data effectively tracks weight status trends in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity trends in Norway were previously undocumented.
  • Understanding these trends is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess pre-pandemic (2010-2019) trends in childhood overweight, obesity, and severe obesity in Norway.
  • To evaluate changes in prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic years (2020-2022).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized retrospective height and weight data from routine child and school health centers for children aged 2-13 years.
  • Classified weight status using International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria.
  • Analyzed pre-pandemic trends with linear regression and compared pandemic prevalence to predicted intervals.

Main Results:

  • A decrease in overweight and obesity prevalence was observed in boys from 2010-2019, notably at ages 4 and 13.
  • No significant pre-pandemic trends were found for girls.
  • During the pandemic, overweight and obesity prevalence exceeded predictions for boys aged 4, 6, and 8, and for 6-year-old girls.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity plateaued in girls and decreased in boys pre-pandemic, but increased in prepubertal boys during the pandemic.
  • Routine healthcare data provides a valuable resource for monitoring childhood weight status prevalence.
Abstract

Keywords:
body mass indexchildhood obesitylockdownpandemicsex differences

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