title: Overweight trends among children enrolled in the New York State special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.
abstract: The objective of this study is to describe overweight trends in a large, multiethnic, low-income population of preschool children by race/ethnicity and examine cohort changes in body mass index (BMI) distribution. Cross-sectional data were collected January 1 through March 31, every year, from 1989 to 2003. Subjects were children aged 2 to 4 years participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in New York State. The prevalence of overweight (BMI > or =95th age- and sex-specific percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts) was calculated for each year. Least squares regression compared trends in prevalence by race/ethnicity. Changes in BMI distribution were assessed graphically. Overweight prevalence increased 33% (12% to 16%). Prevalence was highest for Hispanics and lowest for non-Hispanic whites. Rates of increase (0.28 percentage points per year) were the same for Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white children. The BMI distribution shifted toward higher values for all children studied; for 3- and 4-year-old children, the difference increased as BMI increased, indicating that, in 2003, the heaviest children were considerably heavier than the heaviest children were in 1989.
authors.affiliation: Evaluation and Analysis Unit, Division of Nutrition, New York State Department of Health, 150 Broadway, Floor 6 West, Albany, NY 12204-2719, USA. lse01@health.state.ny.us
authors.forename: Lynn S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Edmunds
authors.forename: Mary Lou
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Woelfel
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Dennison
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pruzek
authors.forename: Rayane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abusabha
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis