Abstract
IntroductionRecent analyses suggest that increases in rates of childhood obesity have plateaued nationally and may be decreasing among certain populations and communities, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We examined 7 years of data, including 3 years not previously reported, to assess recent trends in major demographic groups.MethodsWe analyzed nurse-measured data from the School District of Philadelphia for school years 2006–07 through 2012–13 to assess trends in obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥95th percentile) and severe obesity (BMI ≥120% of the 95th percentile) among all children aged 5 to 18 years for whom measurements were recorded.ResultsOver 7 school years, the prevalence of childhood obesity declined from 21.7% to 20.3% (P = .01); the prevalence of severe obesity declined from 8.5% to 7.3% (P < .001). Declines were larger among boys than among girls and among African Americans and Asians than among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics. Over the final 3 years of study, the prevalence of obesity continued to decrease significantly among boys (including African Americans and Asians) but increased significantly among Hispanic girls and girls in grades kindergarten through 5. At the end of the study period, Hispanics had the highest prevalence of obesity among boys (25.9%) and girls (23.0%). The prevalence of severe obesity continued to trend downward in boys and decrease significantly among girls (including African American girls) but remained highest among Hispanic boys (10.1%) and African American girls (8.3%).ConclusionThe prevalence of obesity and severe obesity continued to decline among children in Philadelphia, but in some groups initial reductions were reversed in the later period. Further monitoring, community engagement, and targeted interventions are needed to address childhood obesity in urban communities.
Highlights
Recent analyses suggest that increases in rates of childhood obesity have plateaued nationally and may be decreasing among certain populations and communities, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The prevalence of obesity and severe obesity continued to decline among children in Philadelphia, but in some groups initial reductions were reversed in the later period
The racial/ethnic composition of the students resembled that of all children in Philadelphia (54% African American, 18% Hispanic, 22% non-Hispanic white, 6% Asian) [9], except that there were fewer non-Hispanic whites
Summary
Recent analyses suggest that increases in rates of childhood obesity have plateaued nationally and may be decreasing among certain populations and communities, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since the 1970s, the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled, raising concerns for the health of children and the health of the US population [1,2]. In 2012, 16.9% of children aged 2 to 19 years were obese. Recent data suggest that the prevalence of childhood obesity is plateauing and may be decreasing among certain populations and in particular communities [4,5]. The prevalence of obesity declined nationally by 40% among children aged 2 to 5 between National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–04 and NHANES 2011–12 [4]. In that same period (2003–2012), reductions in obesity prevalence among
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