Weight-for-height reference and the prevalence of obesity for school children and adolescents in Taiwan and Fuchien Areas.
BACKGROUND
Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence are recognized as public health problems worldwide. Updated growth reference values of weight-for-height are needed for monitoring physical growth of children and adolescents.


METHODS
Weight-for-height and the prevalence of obesity for school children and adolescents in Taiwan and Fuchien Areas were analyzed based on the data obtained in a 2002 nationwide survey of 86,967 subjects, including 44,133 boys and 42,834 girls, ages 6.5 to 18.5 years. Weight-for-height percentile curves were smoothed separately by regression model with polynomials.


RESULTS
The growth reference values of weight-for-height were updated for monitoring physical growth. The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity was 18.5% (range: 10.6%-22.8%) in boys and 15.0% (range: 10.0%-18.4%) in girls. Boys had a higher prevalence of obesity than girls did at all ages. The peak of prevalence of obesity in boys was around 10.0-12.0 years old.


CONCLUSIONS
At all ages, the prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity for both sexes is higher in the 2002 than in 1997. This evidence strongly suggests an increasing prevalence of obesity during childhood and adolescence in recent years, irrespective of sex.
Huang
Yi-Ching
YC
Department of Exercise and Health Science, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taiwan, ROC. ych1999@ms39.hinet.net
Wu
Jen-Yee
JY
Yang
Mei-Jung Ou
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology