Honorato Ortiz-Marrón1, Maira Alejandra Ortiz-Pinto2, José I Cuadrado-Gamarra3, María Esteban-Vasallo4, Olga Cortés-Rico5, Loreto Rey-Gayo6, María Ordobás3, Iñaki Galán7. 1. Servicio de Epidemiología, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Consejería de Sanidad, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: honorato.ortiz@salud.madrid.org. 2. Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. 3. Servicio de Epidemiología, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Consejería de Sanidad, Madrid, Spain. 4. Servicio de Informes de Salud y Estudios, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Consejería de Sanidad, Madrid, Spain. 5. Centro de Salud Canillejas, Consejería de Sanidad, Madrid, Spain. 6. Centro de Salud Las Calesas, Consejería de Sanidad, Madrid, Spain. 7. Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid/IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The childhood obesity epidemic is a worldwide public health problem which starts at very early ages. The aim of this study was to determine the persistence of and variation in overweight and obesity among a cohort of children followed up from 4 to 6 years of age. METHODS: The data were drawn from the ELOIN (Longitudinal Childhood Obesity Study), a population-based cohort in the Community of Madrid, Spain. A total of 2435 children were involved. Weight and height were objectively measured and standardised at 4 (2012-2013) and 6 years of age (2014-2015) by 31 purpose-trained pediatricians. Three reference criteria were used: the World Health Organization (WHO-2006), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF-2000), and Spanish tables of the Orbegozo Foundation 2004, were used to define "absence of excess weight", overweight and obesity. RESULTS: According to the above three classification criteria, between the ages of 4 and 6 years the prevalence of overweight increased from 5.7%-16.5% (range of the 3 criteria) to 8.9%-17.0%, and obesity increased from 3.0%-5.4% to 6.1%-10.1%. Three out of every 4 obese children at age 4 years persisted with obesity at age 6 years, whereas 20.6%-29.3% who were overweight became obese. A total of 8.0% to 16.1% of children maintained "excess weight" (overweight/obesity), 7.9% to 11% were new cases, and 2.2% to 5.9% showed remission. CONCLUSIONS: Excess weight increased between the ages of 4 and 6 years. Important variations were observed in weight status susceptible to intervention during well-child visits.
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The childhood obesity epidemic is a worldwide public health problem which starts at very early ages. The aim of this study was to determine the persistence of and variation in overweight and obesity among a cohort of children followed up from 4 to 6 years of age. METHODS: The data were drawn from the ELOIN (Longitudinal Childhood Obesity Study), a population-based cohort in the Community of Madrid, Spain. A total of 2435 children were involved. Weight and height were objectively measured and standardised at 4 (2012-2013) and 6 years of age (2014-2015) by 31 purpose-trained pediatricians. Three reference criteria were used: the World Health Organization (WHO-2006), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF-2000), and Spanish tables of the Orbegozo Foundation 2004, were used to define "absence of excess weight", overweight and obesity. RESULTS: According to the above three classification criteria, between the ages of 4 and 6 years the prevalence of overweight increased from 5.7%-16.5% (range of the 3 criteria) to 8.9%-17.0%, and obesity increased from 3.0%-5.4% to 6.1%-10.1%. Three out of every 4 obesechildren at age 4 years persisted with obesity at age 6 years, whereas 20.6%-29.3% who were overweight became obese. A total of 8.0% to 16.1% of children maintained "excess weight" (overweight/obesity), 7.9% to 11% were new cases, and 2.2% to 5.9% showed remission. CONCLUSIONS: Excess weight increased between the ages of 4 and 6 years. Important variations were observed in weight status susceptible to intervention during well-child visits.