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Longitudinal Changes in the Adjusted Body Mass Index (BMI) Percentile Among Children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, During

Amal Alhakami1, Ebtihag O Alenzi2, Najla Ali Algariri3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 27, 2025
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased body mass index (BMI) percentiles in children during and after lockdowns. This highlights the need for interventions to support children's health during challenging times.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered daily life, impacting children's physical activity and lifestyle behaviors.
  • These changes may have contributed to accelerated weight gain in children during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate longitudinal changes in age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentiles in children during and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized electronic medical records for height and weight data of children aged 2-18.
  • Formed three overlapping cohorts based on data availability across pre-lockdown, during-lockdown, and post-lockdown periods.
  • Analyzed changes in age- and sex-adjusted BMI percentiles.

Main Results:

  • Children showed a mean increase of 6% in BMI percentiles during the lockdown period.
  • Post-lockdown, mean BMI percentile changes decreased to 1%.
  • Significant associations were found between age, gender, baseline BMI categories, and changes in BMI percentiles over time (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Children experienced elevated BMI percentiles during and following the COVID-19 lockdown.
  • Findings underscore the necessity of structured interventions to address the health consequences of pandemics on children.
  • Targeted strategies are crucial for mitigating negative impacts on pediatric health during public health crises.

Keywords:
BMICOVID-19adolescentchildobesityoverweight

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