title: Weight status and weight-related behaviors of children commencing school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the weight status and weight-related behaviors of children commencing school.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a representative cross-sectional survey of Australian children in their first year of schooling (n=1141) in 2010. Height and weight were measured, and parents reported their child's diet, physical activity and screen-time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  18.7% of children were overweight/obese. Compared with non-overweight/obese peers, overweight/obese boys were 1.73 times (95% CI 1.08, 2.79) as likely to exceed recommended screen time and 2.07 times (95% CI 1.11, 3.87) as likely to eat dinner three or more times/week in front of the TV. Overweight/obese girls were twice as likely to have a TV in their bedroom (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.12, 3.59) and usually be rewarded with sweets for good behavior (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.09, 3.51) and were 1.65 times as likely to be inactive (95% CI 1.08, 2.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that many children begin school with established weight-related behaviors that occur in the home environment. The inclusion of parents and the home environment in intervention strategies will be important to support changes to reduce childhood obesity. The weight status and weight-related behaviors of children entering school may potentially be a general indicator of the overall effectiveness of obesity prevention interventions among preschool-aged children.
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Nutrition Obesity Research Group, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. louise.hardy@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Louise L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hector
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lloyd
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013690:Television