TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of overweight and risk of overweight among 3- To 5-year-old Chicago children, 2002-2003
AU - Mason, Maryann
AU - Meleedy-Rey, Patricia
AU - Christoffel, Katherine Kaufer
AU - Longjohn, Matt
AU - Garcia, Myrna P.
AU - Ashlaw, Catherine
PY - 2006/3/1
Y1 - 2006/3/1
N2 - This article reports the first estimates of overweight prevalence in Chicago children entering school (aged 3-5 years). Chicago data are compared with those from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). Data were from 2 separate convenience samples of children aged 3-5 years attending either 18 Chicago Public Schools or 10 Chicago Catholic School pre-K programs (n = 1517). Data were taken from students' Certificate of Child Health Examination (CCHE), completed by a health professional. Overall, the prevalence of overweight subjects (body mass index ≥95th percentile) was 24%, more than twice that of the national prevalence of 10% for 2- to 5-year-olds documented by NHANES (1999-2002) and 3 times that of the 1998-1999 ECLS prevalence estimate of 8% for 5- to 7-year-olds in the Midwest region. The data reported here document that nearly one quarter of children entering school in Chicago are already overweight. This clearly establishes a need for local schools to develop protocols and procedures to support the physical and mental health needs of affected and at-risk children. The findings also make it plain that ongoing weight status monitoring is needed and that current plans to implement this should go forward.
AB - This article reports the first estimates of overweight prevalence in Chicago children entering school (aged 3-5 years). Chicago data are compared with those from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). Data were from 2 separate convenience samples of children aged 3-5 years attending either 18 Chicago Public Schools or 10 Chicago Catholic School pre-K programs (n = 1517). Data were taken from students' Certificate of Child Health Examination (CCHE), completed by a health professional. Overall, the prevalence of overweight subjects (body mass index ≥95th percentile) was 24%, more than twice that of the national prevalence of 10% for 2- to 5-year-olds documented by NHANES (1999-2002) and 3 times that of the 1998-1999 ECLS prevalence estimate of 8% for 5- to 7-year-olds in the Midwest region. The data reported here document that nearly one quarter of children entering school in Chicago are already overweight. This clearly establishes a need for local schools to develop protocols and procedures to support the physical and mental health needs of affected and at-risk children. The findings also make it plain that ongoing weight status monitoring is needed and that current plans to implement this should go forward.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2006.00077.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2006.00077.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16475986
AN - SCOPUS:33645145615
SN - 0022-4391
VL - 76
SP - 104
EP - 110
JO - Journal of School Health
JF - Journal of School Health
IS - 3
ER -
