title: Trends in weight, height, BMI and obesity in schoolchildren from Santa Rosa (Argentina), 1990-2005/07.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess secular changes in physical growth and the current prevalence and trend of overweight/obesity in Argentinian schoolchildren.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and forty-nine schoolchildren aged 6 and 12 years attending schools in 1990 were compared with an age-matched sample of 935 boys and girls collected between 2005-2007. Changes in weight, height and BMI by age between the surveys were analysed using one-way analysis of variance. Overweight and obesity were defined according to IOTF criteria and compared by Chi-squared test. Odds ratios (OR) and intervals of confidence (95% CI) were also calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six and 12 year-old boys and girls were significantly heavier (1.2-3.2 kg) and had higher BMIs (0.7-1.0 kg/m(2)) in 2005-2007 than in 1990. Significant differences in height were seen in 6 year old boys (1.5 cm) and 12 year old girls (1.3 cm). Overweight and obesity increased by 4.4% (OR = 1.4, 1.1-1.8) and 5.9% (OR = 4.3, 2.8-6.5), respectively; obesity being higher in younger children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The disharmonic secular change in weight and height has led to high overweight/obesity. The obesity increase is consistent with global and regional trends, indicating a shift in BMI distribution, especially at the higher centiles.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas, Hospital de Ninõs Sor M. Ludovica, 1900, La Plata, Argentina. aborden@conicet.gov.ar
authors.forename: Alicia B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Orden
authors.forename: Piero J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: Selene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petrone
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors