title: Association between childhood obesity and use of regular medications in the UK: longitudinal cohort study of children aged 5-11 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing rates of childhood obesity have been suggested as a possible cause for the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions among adults and children. Few studies have examined whether obese children are more likely to use medications than normal weight children. We investigate this association in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  A panel study with repeated observations at ages 5, 7 and 11.
  
  
  METHODS
  A general population sample drawn from the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK-based birth cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 9667 children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our primary outcomes were crude and adjusted probabilities of taking any regular medications and the number of medications among overweight and obese children compared with normal weight children. Our secondary outcome was the distribution of medication use by therapeutic classification across body mass index (BMI) groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obese children were more likely to use any medication (marginal effect (ME)=0.02, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.03) and to use more medications (ME=0.08, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.12) than normal weight children. Obese children used more medications for respiratory conditions than those of other BMI groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obese children are more likely to use regular medications and have comorbid conditions, even at young ages. This suggests that the cost of prescriptions should be considered when evaluating the economic burden of childhood obesity and that preventative strategies to reduce childhood obesity could be cost-effective in the short as well as in the long term. While more research is needed, both clinicians and policymakers should be aware of these findings when planning prevention and treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Solmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; PAEDIATRICS; PUBLIC HEALTH