title: Prevalence of obesity, overweight and thinness in Australian children and adolescents by socioeconomic status and ethnic/cultural group in 2006 and 2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of obesity, overweight and thinness, by sex, SES and ethnic background in 2006 and 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large national surveys of school students were conducted. Height/weight was measured. The outcomes were height, weight, BMI, thinness, overweight and obesity (IOTF), SES and ethnicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obesity in 2006 and 2012 in boys and girls was 7.5 and 7.1 %, and 5.8 and 5.6 %; being overweight was 17.7 and 18.5 %, and 18.9 and 18.7 %; thinness was 3.8 and 4.6 %, and 5.0 and 6.0 %. Independent predictors of obesity in 2006 and 2012 were being Pacific Islander (OR 5.03, 5.66), Middle Eastern (OR 3.64, 1.50), aboriginal (OR 2.43 in 2012 only), African (OR 1.99 2012 only), Southern European (OR 1.75, 1.72), low SES (OR 2.22, 2.20), middle SES (OR 1.52, 1.60), female (OR 0.77, 0.82) and adolescent (OR 1.08, 2012 only). Predictors of thinness in 2006 and 2012 were ethnicity: Indian (OR 5.29, 1.96), African (OR 2.71, 2006 only), Asian (OR 1.69, 1.57) and female (OR 1.30, 1.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The predictors of obesity and thinness were ethnically based, suggesting culturally appropriate interventions in socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Building A35, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia, jennifer.odea@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: O'Dea
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dibley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013851:Thinness / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data