Prevalence and ethnicity of sleep-disordered breathing and obesity in children.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence of obesity in children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) who undergo adenotonsillectomy to that in the general pediatric population.


METHODS
Cross-sectional controlled study.


METHODS
A body-mass-index (BMI-for-age) percentile was determined for children with SDB and for matched controls from a general pediatric clinic. Children who were obese (>85th %) were analyzed. Groups were compared using a t test or chi(2) analysis. Risk factors were estimated with logistic regression.


RESULTS
The study population included 299 children, of whom 170 (56.9%) had SDB. Compared with controls, more children with SDB were obese (46% vs 33%, P = 0.029) or underweight (8% vs 3%, P = 0.110), and fewer children with SDB were healthy weight (46% vs 64%, P = 0.002). Among African American children, those who were obese were more likely to have SDB (OR, 2.22, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Children with SDB who undergo adenotonsillectomy are more likely to be obese than children seen in a general pediatric clinic. African American children who are obese are more likely to have SDB.
University of Washington School of Medicine, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. emily.rudnick@seattlechildrens.org
Emily F
EF
Rudnick
Jonathan S
JS
Walsh
Mark C
MC
Hampton
Ron B
RB
Mitchell
D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data