Using different growth references to measure thinness and overweight among Swedish primary school children showed considerable variations

• Aim: The study compared how four different growth references determined the prevalence of thinness and overweight, based on height and weight measurements from a nationally representative sample of Swedish children from seven to nine years of age.Methods: The height and weight measurements of 4,518 Swedish schoolchildren aged seven to nine years were carried out in 2008 using a standardised protocol. The prevalence of different degrees of thinness and overweight were calculated using international growth references from the World Health Organization, the International Obesity Task Force and two Swedish growth references from Werner and Karlberg.Results: Depending on which growth reference we used, the prevalence of different degrees of thinness varied from 7.5%-16.9% for the boys and 6.9%-13.7% for the girls, while for the prevalence of overweight, including obesity and severe obesity, varied from 16.5%-25.7% for the boys and 18.2-25.2% for the girls. There were also significant gender differences depending on the growth reference we used.Conclusion: Using four different growth references, two international and two Swedish, produced wide variations in the prevalence of thinness and overweight, together with significant gender differences. In the absence of a global definition, we need both national and international growth references.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Näringslära (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nutrition and Dietetics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Body mass index cut-off levels

childhood

crowth surveillance

obesity

underweight

Måltidskunskap

Culinary Arts and Meal Science

Nutrition

Näringslära

Pediatrik

Pediatrics

body mass index cut-off levels; childhood; growth surveillance; obesity; underweight

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)