Prevalence of obesity among US preschool children in different racial and ethnic groups.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of obesity in 5 major racial/ethnic groups in 4-year-old US children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional secondary data analysis.


METHODS
Nationally representative sample of US children born in 2001.


METHODS
Height and weight were measured in 2005 in approximately 8550 children who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort.


METHODS
Racial/ethnic group.


METHODS
Prevalence of obesity, defined as body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age of the sex-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts.


RESULTS
Obesity prevalence among 4-year-old US children (mean age, 52.3 months) was 18.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.1%-19.8%). Obesity prevalence differed by racial/ethnic group (P < .001): American Indian/Native Alaskan, 31.2% (95% CI, 24.6%-37.8%); Hispanic, 22.0% (95% CI, 19.5%-24.5%); non-Hispanic black, 20.8% (95% CI, 17.8%-23.7%); non-Hispanic white, 15.9% (95% CI, 14.3%-17.5%); and Asian, 12.8% (95% CI, 10.0%-15.6%). All pairwise differences in obesity prevalence between racial/ethnic groups were statistically significant after a Bonferroni adjustment (P < .005) except for those between Hispanic and non-Hispanic black children and between non-Hispanic white and Asian children.


CONCLUSIONS
Racial/ethnic disparities in obesity are apparent in 4-year-old US children. The highest prevalence is in American Indian/Native Alaskan children, in whom obesity is twice as common as in non-Hispanic white or Asian children.
Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, B216 Starling Loving Hall, 320 W 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. sanderson@cph.osu.edu
Sarah E
SE
Anderson
Robert C
RC
Whitaker
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000208:ethnology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data