title: Measuring the prevalence of overweight in Texas schoolchildren.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We describe results from year 1 of a surveillance system to monitor body mass index in children at the state level.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 6630 children attending Texas public schools, weighted to represent 4th, 8th, and 11th grades within race/ethnic subpopulations, was assessed. Body mass index was calculated from measured height and weight; demographic information was obtained from a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of overweight was 22.4%, 19.2%, and 15.5% for 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade students, respectively. Overweight prevalence was highest among Hispanic boys (29.5%-32.6%), fourth-grade Hispanic girls (26.7%), and fourth- and eighth-grade African American girls (30.8% and 23.1%, respectively). Eleventh-grade White/other girls had the lowest prevalence of overweight (5.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirm the increasing prevalence of overweight among US children, especially among Hispanic and African American students compared to White/other students and fourth-grade students relative to 8th- and 11th-grade students.
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition Center, University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, 1200 Hermann Pressler Drive, W RAS 920, Houston, TX 77030, USA. deanna.m.hoelscher@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Deanna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hoelscher
authors.forename: R Sue
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Eun Sul
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ralph F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Frankowski
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kelder
authors.forename: Jerri L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Scheurer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology