Trends In Childhood Research Articles

Strategies for correction of physical and emotional states in adolescent girls with body weight disorders

The article analyzes existing strategies of physical activity aimed at correcting the physical and emotional states in adolescents with body weight disorders. The aim of the study was to investigate the existing approaches to correcting the physical and emotional state in adolescent girls with body weight disorders. Methods. Theoretical analysis of special scientific and methodological literature and documentary materials, comparative analysis, and pedagogical methods were used. Research results. Based on a systematic analysis of specialized literature and documentary materials, the prevalence of body weight disorders among children and adolescents worldwide and in Ukraine was evaluated. Global trends in childhood and adolescent obesity were highlighted. Factors leading to weight disorders were characterized, including decreased physical activity, insufficient sleep, eating behavior disorders, and psychological status. An analysis of program documents aimed at increasing the level of physical activity was carried out, focusing on the implementation of effective strategies and programs for the physical activity of children and adolescents. The development of an effective motivation and incentive system for engaging in physical activity, coordination of multisectoral strategies to promote an active lifestyle, and the improvement of the quality of physical education in educational institutions at all levels were discussed. A systematic analysis of specialized literature allowed summarizing existing approaches to correction strategies for the physical and emotional well-being of adolescent girls with weight disorders. Conclusions. Based on the collected material, recommendations for increasing the involvement of children and adolescents in physical activity programs aimed at correcting the physical and emotional well-being of adolescent girls with weight disorders were summarized.

Neurodevelopmental and behavioral manifestations of lead toxicity in children

Lead in any form is harmful for the human body. It is dispersed into the environment through battery manufacturing, foundry, ammunition, lead paint, water pipes and other manmade products. It can enter the body through various pathways such as, air, water, soil, food, and dust. Concern arises, as no amount of lead is safe for the human body. The detrimental effect is higher when children get exposed, as it can interfere with the neonatal neurobehavioral development, and can also lead to low IQ, low birth weight, and fetal death. This review assesses the risk factors of lead toxicity in children, trends in childhood lead poisoning, pediatric burden in low-income countries, and its prevention, intervention, and management in children.

International patterns and trends of childhood and adolescent cancer, 1978-2012

BackgroundThis study aimed to provide a detailed analysis of the temporal trends of cancer incidence rates for individuals aged 0–19 years in selected regions globally from 1978 to 2012. MethodsData were obtained from Volumes V-XI of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5), published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A total of 53 registries in 23 regions from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania that contained information on cancer incidence throughout 1978-2012 (35 years) were included in this study. Joinpoint regression was used for the analysis of trends. ResultsMost regions showed increasing trends in overall childhood cancer among children (aged 0-14 years) and adolescents (aged 15-19 years). Nearly all regions showed rising trends in childhood and adolescent leukemia incidence rates, whereas the incidence of lymphoma among children generally decreased. Only France, Australia, and New Zealand showed decreasing trends for malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors among adolescents. Kidney cancer and bone cancer incidence rates remained stable for most regions. The incidence of thyroid cancer among adolescents increased in most regions and that of testicular cancer decreased in approximately one-half of the regions studied. ConclusionThe international temporal trends of cancer incidents among children and adolescents are varied by region, cancer type, age group, and gender, and have changed over time.

Los esfuerzos preventivos de las comunidades autónomas y la desigualdad socioeconómica en la obesidad o el sobrepeso infantil

ObjectiveTo explore trends in childhood overweight/obesity according to socio-economic status and in relation to the preventive effort developed by the Spanish autonomous regions. MethodA series of multilevel cross-sectional studies were conducted using data from different waves of the Spanish National Health Survey, namely 2003, 2006, 2011 and 2017. Hierarchical logistic regression models were estimated, with individuals (level 1) nested within the region–period of study (level 2) and these, in turn, within the region (level 3). The main independent variables were the average effort made by the Spanish autonomous regions in child overweight–obesity prevention policies and the change in the effort made in these policies over the periods studied. ResultsThe likelihood of obesity and/or overweight increases substantially if the adult respondent in the household is also obese or overweight. The joint effect of the policies implemented by the autonomous regions is associated with a significant decrease in prevalence only for children belonging to high and middle social classes (odds ratio [OR]: 0.89, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.82–0.96, and OR: 0.93, 95%CI: 0.88–0.97, respectively). ConclusionsThe policies implemented by the Spanish autonomous regions seem to have a limited capacity to achieve significant reductions in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. The results suggest that it is the middle and upper-middle class groups that seem to benefit most from these policies, which could indirectly contribute to increasing inequalities in childhood obesity.

Childhood waist growth curves and adult diabetes.

Our primary objectives are to empirically identify distinct childhood groups based on trajectories of waist circumference (WC) and waist circumference index measurements, and then to estimate associations between these groups and adult diabetes incidence, as well as other outcomes, including blood pressure, body size, body composition, and hemoglobin levels. Childhood WC and height measurements as well as various adult measurements are taken from participants in the Fels Longitudinal Study. Childhood groups are identified using group-based trajectory modeling. Associations between the resulting group probabilities and adult outcomes are examined using mixed models. Our results show that distinct childhood groups are identifiable for both waist size measurements, with growth curves exhibited by these groups becoming distinguishably separate at around 4 years of age. Higher probabilities for groups exhibiting the larger waist size for either measurement were estimated to have higher risks of developing diabetes in adulthood. Associations were also observed between group probabilities and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and various anthropomorphic measurements, with most associations consistently occurring in early adulthood. These findings expand upon the existing literature, showing that childhood trends in waist size, distinguishable at ages as early as 4 years, are associated with adult Type-2 diabetes.

Competitive Food and Beverage Policies and Obesity among Middle School Students: Variability by Urbanicity in California.

Introduction: This study examined the association between California school nutrition policies and population-level trends in childhood overweight/obesity by levels of urbanicity.Methods: We used interrupted time series with Fitnessgram data on overweight/obesity from the period 2002 to 2010 pertaining to African American, Latino, Asian, and White students in seventh grades who attended California public schools. We used multilevel logistic regression models to examine the impact of the introduction of successive California school nutrition policies on overweight/obesity prevalence, stratified by gender and adjusted for school district-, school-, and student-level characteristics.Results: At the start of the study period, rural areas and second cities (i.e., population centers with lower population densities than urban areas) had relatively low prevalence, but experienced sharp increases in 2002–2004, leading to higher prevalence of overweight/obesity than suburban areas. There was evidence of beneficial policy influences on overweight/obesity in most areas, except for girls in urban areas and boys in second cities. The evidence of beneficial changes was strongest among children attending schools located in rural areas, and boys in suburban and urban areas. These results persisted even after we accounted for differences in racial/ethnic compositions, socioeconomic characteristics of the schools and school neighborhoods, and school sizes, as well as child-level race/ethnicity, age, and student fitness levels.Conclusion: Despite evidence of beneficial policy impact, childhood obesity prevalence remains high, especially in urban areas in California. Additional policies and environmental interventions are recommended to address obesogenic risk factors unique to each area.

Tuberculosis and associated risk factors among children and adolescent population in Serbia: 12 year's retrospective study.

Recognition and epidemiological control of childhood and adolescent tuberculosis (TB) is essential to achieve effective control of TB in general as it presents high risk for transmission in the community. The aim of the study is to provide a descriptive and analytic overview of the trends in childhood and adolescent TB notifications and treatment outcomes and to identify factors associated with treatment success in a twelve-year period in Serbia. We performed a retrospective trend analysis and analysis of treatment outcomes of 596 child and adolescent TB cases notified in Serbia in the period 2005-2016 from all health facilities, as well as logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of treatment success. Factors independently associated with treatment success were: new TB (OR=2.60; 95% CI: 1.45-3.74), male sex (OR=2.55; 95% CI: 2.09-3.00), pulmonary TB (OR=3.34; 95% CI: 2.34-4.34), comorbidities (OR=2.58; 95% CI: 2.24-2.91), age below 5 years (OR=0.37; 95% CI: 0.32-0.43), and social vulnerability (OR=0.40; 95% CI: 0.34-0.46). In order to improve TB treatment outcomes among children and adolescent population in Serbia, it is important to focus on female, age group 5-18, EPTB, retreatment cases and socially vulnerable groups.

Prevalence, incidence, and trends of childhood overweight/obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic scoping review

BackgroundThe growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NDC), particularly in low-and middle-income countries, poses a significant threat to global health. Obesity and overweight constitute major risk factors of NCDs such as heart diseases, diabetes, and kidney disease, and as a result, contribute significantly to the development of chronic morbidities, reduced quality of life, and increased risk of premature death. This study described evidence on the prevalence, incidence, and trends of childhood overweight and obesity in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA).MethodsWe conducted a systematic scoping review employing the Arksey and O’Malley framework, Levac et al. recommendations, and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. To obtain relevant published articles for this review, we performed a comprehensive keywords search in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and CINAHL via EBSCOhost platform for studies published between 2009 and June 2019. Guided by the eligibility criteria, title and abstracts, as well as the full-text articles were independently screened in parallel by two investigators. All relevant data were independently extracted by two investigators using a piloted form designed in Microsoft and thematic analysis conducted.ResultsOf the 81 included studies obtained from 250,148 potentially eligible articles, the majority (25) conducted in South Africa followed by 18 in Nigeria. Six studies were conducted in Ethiopia (6), Tanzania (5), Kenya (4), Cameroon (4), Ghana (3), Uganda (2), Mozambique (2), and Sudan (2). One study each was conducted in Botswana, Gambia, Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, Togo, and Zimbabwe. The remaining three articles were multi-country studies. Most (81.5%) of the included studies were cross-sectional surveys and the majority (79) focused on both male and female participants. The majority (80/81) of the included studies reported on the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity, 8 on the trends of childhood overweight/obesity, and one presented evidence on the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity in SSA.ConclusionThis review demonstrates limited studies on childhood overweight/obesity in most SSA countries although the included studies suggest an increasing burden. Considering the consequences of childhood obesity, there is a need for more primary researches to inform policies decision and implementation to halt the rise of childhood obesity/overweight in SSA.

The Association between Reported Dental Pain Symptoms and Increased BMI in Indonesia: Evidence From The Indonesian Family Life Survey

Background:Overweight/obesity remains one of the most important health issues. Not only due to the current health consequences but also because of its long-term effect. One of the most common health problems experienced by an individual with overweight/obesity is dental problem, which can be reflected from dental pain being complained.Objective:The objective of the current study was to evaluate the association of overweight/obesity to be the predictor of the occurrence of dental pain.Methods:Data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) from five consecutive survey waves (1993, 1997, 2000, 2007 and 2014) that involved more than 30.000 participants and their offsprings that were grouped into three different age categories (0-4.9 years old; 5-19.9 years old; and 20-49.9 years old) were gathered and analyzed for Odds Ratio (OR) and Confidence Interval (CI). Trends of childhood overweight/obesity, the occurrence of dental pain, as well as the likelihood of individuals with childhood overweight/obesity to develop dental pain were analyzed by using STATA Data Analysis and Statistical Software version 13.Results:The results of the current study revealed that all age groups exhibited an increase in numbers when it comes to the prevalence of overweight/obesity from the first wave (in 1993) up to the latest wave (in 2014). It was also revealed that those who were in the 0-4.9 years old age group, were those who were more likely to develop dental pain (OR:1.12; 95% CI: 0.84-1.5; p:0.44).Conclusion:Despite the wave to wave variation, overweight/obesity has the potential to be associated with future dental problems, with dental pain in particular.

Establishing reference intervals of coagulation indices based on the ACL Top 700 system for children in Southwestern Fujian, China

BackgroundTill date, China has not issued industry standards for reference intervals (RIs) of pediatric blood coagulation indices. Here, we evaluated changes in the coagulation indices in the venous blood of healthy children aged 29 days to 12 years derived using the ACL Top 700 system and established appropriate RIs. MethodsWe analyzed venous blood from 1770 healthy children for five coagulation indices. RIs were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C28-A3c guideline. ResultsThe coagulation indices were grouped by age. For prothrombin time (PT) and international normalization ratio (INR), the RIs of infants and toddlers were identical; preschool children had the same RI as school-age children. Pediatric RIs for PT and INR were slightly lower than those for adults. The RIs of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and fibrinogen (FIB) in childhood were divided into two groups by age (1 month to 1 year and 1–12 years). The RI of APTT in infants was the widest; the overall level of FIB in infants was the lowest; children's APTT and FIB RIs were lower than those of adults. The pattern of TT values and RI trends in childhood were similar to those of APTT. ConclusionsThere were minor changes in the RIs of coagulation indices for children. The RIs of PT, INR, APTT, TT, and FIB must be grouped by age. The RIs of coagulation indices for children were different from those for adults; therefore, establishing separate RIs for children is necessary.

Trends in childhood and adolescent internalizing symptoms: results from Swedish population based twin cohorts

BackgroundPrevious research has noted trends of increasing internalizing problems (e.g., symptoms of depression and anxiety), particularly amongst adolescent girls. Cross-cohort comparisons using identical assessments of both anxiety and depression in youth are lacking, however.MethodsIn this large twin study, we examined trends in internalizing symptoms in samples of 9 year old children and 15 year old adolescents, gathered from successive birth cohorts from 1998 to 2008 (age 9) and 1994–2001 (age 15). Assessments at age 9 were parent-rated, and at age 15 self- and parent-rated. We examined (i) the relation between birth cohorts and internalizing symptoms using linear regressions, and (ii) whether percentages of participants exceeding scale cut-off scores changed over time, using Cochrane Armitage Trend Tests.ResultsAmong 9 year old children, a significantly increasing percentage of participants (both boys and girls) had scores above cut-off on anxiety symptoms, but not on depressive symptoms. At age 15, a significantly increasing percentage of participants (both boys and girls) had scores above cut-off particularly on self-reported internalizing symptoms. On parent-reported internalizing symptoms, only girls demonstrated a corresponding trend.ConclusionIn line with previous studies, we found small changes over sequential birth cohorts in frequencies of depression and anxiety symptoms in children. Further, these changes were not exclusive to girls.

Obstacles and Impediments of Overweight and Obesity

Obstacles and Impediments of Overweight and Obesity

3.14 Trends in Childhood and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms: Results From Nationwide Population-Based Twin Cohorts

3.14 Trends in Childhood and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms: Results From Nationwide Population-Based Twin Cohorts

Health & Demographic Surveillance System Profile: Farafenni Health and Demographic Surveillance System in The Gambia.

The Farafenni Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Farafenni HDSS) is located 170 km from the coast in a rural area of The Gambia, north of the River Gambia. It was set up in 1981 by the UK Medical Research Council Laboratories to generate demographic and health information required for the evaluation of a village-based, primary health care programme in 40 villages. Regular updates of demographic events and residency status have subsequently been conducted every 4 months. The surveillance area was extended in 2002 to include Farafenni Town and surrounding villages to support randomized, controlled trials. With over three decades of prospective surveillance, and through specific scientific investigations, the platform (population ≈ 50,000) has generated data on: morbidity and mortality due to malaria in children and during pregnancy; non-communicable disease among adults; reproductive health; and levels and trends in childhood and maternal mortality. Other information routinely collected includes causes of death through verbal autopsy, and household socioeconomic indicators. The current portfolio of the platform includes tracking Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) attainments in rural Gambia and cause-of-death determination.

Association between competitive food and beverage policies in elementary schools and childhood overweight/obesity trends: differences by neighborhood socioeconomic resources.

To our knowledge, few published studies have examined the influence of competitive food and beverage (CF&B) policies on student weight outcomes; none have investigated disparities in the influence of CF&B policies on children's body weight by school neighborhood socioeconomic resources. To investigate whether the association between CF&B policies and population-level trends in childhood overweight/obesity differed by school neighborhood income and education levels. This cross-sectional study, from July 2013 to October 2014, compared overweight/obesity prevalence trends before (2001-2005) and after (2006-2010) implementation of CF&B policies in public elementary schools in California. The study included 2 700 880 fifth-grade students in 5362 public schools from 2001 to 2010. California CF&B policies (effective July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2007) and school neighborhood income and education levels. Overweight/obesity defined as a body mass index at or greater than the 85th percentile for age and sex. Overall rates of overweight/obesity ranged from 43.5% in 2001 to 45.8% in 2010. Compared with the period before the introduction of CF&B policies, overweight/obesity trends changed in a favorable direction after the policies took effect (2005-2010); these changes occurred for all children across all school neighborhood socioeconomic levels. In the postpolicy period, these trends differed by school neighborhood socioeconomic advantage. From 2005-2010, trends in overweight/obesity prevalence leveled off among students at schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods but declined in socioeconomically advantaged neighborhoods. Students in the lowest-income neighborhoods experienced zero or near zero change in the odds of overweight/obesity over time: the annual percentage change in overweight/obesity odds was 0.1% for females (95% CI, -0.7 to 0.9) and -0.3% for males (95% CI, -1.1 to 0.5). In contrast, in the highest-income neighborhoods, the annual percentage decline in the odds of overweight was 1.2% for females (95% CI, 0.4 to 1.9) and 1.0% for males (95% CI, 0.3 to 1.8). Findings were similar for school neighborhood education. Our study found population-level improvements in the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity that coincided with the period following implementation of statewide CF&B policies (2005-2010). However, these improvements were greatest at schools in the most advantaged neighborhoods. This suggests that CF&B policies may help prevent child obesity; however, the degree of their effectiveness is likely to depend on socioeconomic and other contextual factors in school neighborhoods. To reduce disparities and prevent obesity, school policies and environmental interventions must address relevant contextual factors in school neighborhoods.

Convergent Validity of Parent-Reported ADHD Diagnosis: A Cross-Study Comparison

Getahun and colleagues recently published a study entitled “Recent Trends in Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” in which they used medical records and welldefined criteria to generate the prevalence of diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a large Southern California administrative sample.1 Their study contributes important geographically-based estimates of ADHD and draws conclusions about increasing ADHD prevalence within Southern California. However, the authors cited our previous research2 to support a commonly held assertion that parentand teacher-reports of ADHD “overestimate true prevalence.” To date, parent-reported ADHD diagnosis on national health surveys has not been directly validated against a clinical standard, and thus needs further study before conclusions related to validity can be made. However, studies like that of Getahun may inform the evidence base for the validity of using survey data for monitoring ADHD over time. Our research estimated that the parent-reported prevalence of ADHD for children aged 4–17 years in California was 6.2% (2007)2, which may appear high compared to Getahun et al.’s estimate of 4.9% among children aged 5–11 in California (2001–2010). In this research letter we replicate our previous analyses of parent-reported ADHD with a sample more comparable to the Getahun study population.

Trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity in danish infants, children and adolescents--are we still on a plateau?

BackgroundAfter the worldwide steep increase in child and adolescent overweight and obesity during the last decades, there is now evidence of a levelling off in the prevalence in many countries in the Western world.AimTo examine whether there still is a plateau in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Danish children and adolescents, or whether the prevalence is decreasing or rising again.MethodsThe trends in the prevalence rates were based on three data sets providing comparable repeated estimates: 1) the Danish Health Visitors Child Health Database (DHVCHD) with measurements on infant and childhood height and weight from 2002 to 2011 (n up to 39,984), 2) the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) with maternal reports of measured infant and childhood height and weight from 1998 to 2010 (n up to 56,826) and 3) the Danish part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey (HBSC) with self-reported information on adolescent height and weight from the years 2002 to 2010 (n = 16,557). Overweight and obesity were categorized according to WHO growth standards. Trends were assessed by repeated point estimates and linear regression analyses providing regression coefficients for changes in per cent per year with 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsThe prevalence rates of overweight and obesity for infants, children and adolescents showed a mixed pattern of decline, stability and increase (ranging from -1.10 through 0.29 per cent per year with CI’s from -3.10 through 2.37). Overall, there were no consistent statistically significant trends upwards or downwards, although some significant downward trends in childhood and adolescence were observed.ConclusionThis study, based on data from 1998 through 2011, showed that the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among Danish infants, children and adolescents were largely still on a plateau with tendencies for a decline among children and adolescents.

Abstract 2530: Incidence trends of childhood and adolescent melanoma in the United States from 1973-2009.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Melanoma in children and adolescents is rare but, similar to adults, has been reported to be increasing. To gain insight into possible reasons underlying increased number of cases, we analyzed trends in melanoma incidence diagnosed between the ages of 0-19 years among United States whites by sex, stage, age at diagnosis, and primary site. We also investigated incidence trends by ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) exposure levels. METHODS: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program data (1973-2009), we calculated age-adjusted incidence rates, annual percent changes, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each category of interest. Incidence trends were also evaluated using joinpoint and loess regression models. SEER registries were categorized with respect to low or high UVB radiation exposure. RESULTS: From 1973-2009, 1,230 children of white race were diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Overall, pediatric melanoma increased by an average of 2% per year (95% CI, 1.4%-2.7%). Females, 15-19 year olds, and individuals with low UVB exposure had significantly higher incidence rates than males, younger children, and those living in SEER registries categorized as high UVB. Over the study period, males experienced increased incidence rates for melanoma on the face and trunk, and females on the lower limbs and hip. The only decreased incidence trend we observed was among 15-19 year olds in the high UVB exposure group from 1985-2009. Loess curves indicated similar patterns. CONCLUSIONS: These results may help elucidate possible risk factors for adolescent melanoma, but further individual-level studies will be necessary to determine the reasons for increasing incidence trends. Citation Format: Jeannette Wong, Jenine Harris, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, Kimberly Johnson. Incidence trends of childhood and adolescent melanoma in the United States from 1973-2009. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2530. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2530

Recent Trends in Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVE To examine trends in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by race/ethnicity, age, sex, and median household income. DESIGN An ecologic study of trends in the diagnosis of ADHD using the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) health plan medical records. Rates of ADHD diagnosis were derived using Poisson regression analyses after adjustments for potential confounders. SETTING Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena. PARTICIPANTS All children who received care at the KPSC from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2010 (n=842830). MAIN EXPOSURE Period of ADHD diagnosis (in years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incidence of physician-diagnosed ADHD in children aged 5 to 11 years. RESULTS Rates of ADHD diagnosis were 2.5% in 2001 and 3.1% in 2010, a relative increase of 24%. From 2001 to 2010, the rate increased among whites (4.7%-5.6%; relative risk [RR]=1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4), blacks (2.6%- 4.1%; RR=1.7; 95% CI, 1.5-1.9), and Hispanics (1.7%-2.5%; RR=1.6; 95% CI, 1.5-1.7). Rates for Asian/Pacific Islander and other racial groups remained unchanged over time. The increase in ADHD diagnosis among blacks was largely driven by an increase in females (RR=1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.3). Although boys were more likely to be diagnosed as having ADHD than girls, results suggest the sex gap for blacks may be closing over time. Children living in high-income households were at increased risk of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the rate of ADHD diagnosis among children in the health plan notably has increased over time. We observed disproportionately high ADHD diagnosis rates among white children and notable increases among black girls.

Substantial decline in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among California’s children and adolescents

Few studies have looked at changes among risk factors that might help explain why childhood obesity prevalence in the US has leveled off in recent years. We present an analysis of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) that examines trends in childhood and adolescent obesity as well as trends in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. We compared 3 separate cross-sectional samples (2003, 2005, and 2007) from biennial CHIS for 3 age groups, age 2-5, age 6-11 and age 12-17. We calculated the prevalence of high SSB consumption (defined as having more than one SSB during the previous day). 2 measures of obesity were used - weight-for-age at or above the 95th percentile on national growth charts for children aged 2-11, and body mass index for age at or above the 95th percentile on national growth charts for adolescents aged 12-17. Logistic regression analysis is used to estimate adjusted odds ratios of high SSB consumption in 2005 and 2007 compared with the baseline year of 2003. From 2003 to 2007, each age group experienced a substantial decline in high SSB consumption (16.4%-5.0% for age 2-5, P < 0.001; 22.5%-9.9% for age 6-11, P < 0.001; 35.7%-25.7% for age 12-17, P < 0.001). Declines in the prevalence of children's obesity were significant among children age 2-5 (P < 0.001) and age 6-11 (P < 0.05) but not among adolescents (P = 0.42). Children and teenagers in 2005 and 2007 were significantly less likely than those surveyed in 2003 to have high SSB consumption after adjusting for gender, age, race/ethnicity, poverty level, and parental education (P < 0.001). Policy actions may have impacted the prevalence of SSB consumption in the population. Further research is needed to examine the contribution of declining SSB consumption on the leveling off of obesity trends and the extent to which these declines are attributable to new policies and programs.