Changes since 1980 in body mass index and the prevalence of overweight among inschooling children in Nuuk, Greenland

Abstract

Objective. The aim of the study was to examine the trends which have occurred during the past generation in body mass index (BMI) and in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in public schools in Nuuk, Greenland.Study design. The study is a retrospective cohort study of BMI among inschooling children (age 6 or 7 years old). A database was created on the basis of files from school-nurses containing information on height and weight among children having attended school in Nuuk since 1970. The database contained 10,121 measurements in total, whereas 2,801 were on inschooling children. Measurements from these children form the basis of this study. Mean and quartiles of BMI among the inschooling children in 5-year intervals were used to determine the development in BMI since 1980. On the basis of international cut-points (1) for use among children and adolescents, the proportion of overweight and obese children and the trends since 1980 were determined.Results. The mean BMI has risen by a total of a bit more than 6% since 1980, corresponding to a rise of 1.2–3.8% for every 5-year period. Increases are also observed when assessing the proportion of overweight and obese, which were 6.6% and 0.9%, respectively, among the inschooling children during the period 1980-1984. These proportions increased to 16.5% and 5.2%, respectively, in 2000-2004.Conclusion. This study has provided evidence that during the past two decades, children in Nuuk have undergone a development towards a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2005; 64(2):157–162)