Trends in body mass index and prevalence of extreme high obesity among pennsylvania children and adolescents, 2007-2011: Promising but cautionary

D. Lohrmann, A.Y. Agha and W. Jayawardene

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 4, e62-e68

Abstract: Objectives. We determined current trends and patterns in overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity among Pennsylvania pre-kindergarten (pre-K) to 12th grade students and simulated future trends. Methods. We analyzed body mass index (BMI) of pre-K to 12th grade students from 43 of 67 Pennsylvania counties in 2007 to 2011 to determine trends and to discern transition patterns among BMI status categories for 2009 to 2011. Vinsem simulation, confirmed by Markov chain modeling, generated future prevalence trends. Results. Combined rates of overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity decreased among secondary school students across the 5 years, and among elementary students, first increased and then markedly decreased. BMI status remained constant for approximately 80% of normal and extreme high obese students, but both decreased and increased among students who initially were overweight and obese; the increase in BMI remained significant. Conclusions. Overall trends in child and adolescent BMI status seemed positive. BMI transition patterns indicated that although overweight and obesity prevalence leveled off, extreme high obesity, especially among elementary students, is projected to increase substantially over time. If current transition patterns continue, the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity among Pennsylvania students in 2031 is projected to be 16.0%, 6.6%, and 23.2%, respectively.

Keywords: adolescent; age; article; body mass; child; female; human; male; morbid obesity; obesity; prevalence; school; statistics; United States, Adolescent; Age Factors; Body Mass Index; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid; Overweight; Pennsylvania; Prevalence; Schools (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301851

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301851_6

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301851

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().