The prevalence of overweight and obesity in primary school children depends on the diagnostic criteria used: data from the longitudinal study “OBIN” 2011-2017.

Abstract

Objective: To compare longitudinally different diagnostic criteria of overweight and obesity in children from 6 to 11 years old.

Method: 155 children (86 girls and 69 boys) belonging to the three public schools of La Algaba (Seville) were studied throughout the six courses of Primary Education (2011-2017). Weight, height and BMI were measured every six months. The prevalences of overweight and obesity were calculated using the 85th and 95th BMI percentiles respectively, using the tables of the CDC of Atlanta (USA), the Orbegozo Foundation and the WHO. The Cole extrapolation criterion was also used.

Results: The evolution of weight, height and BMI is linear and identical for boys and girls. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in girls remains stable throughout the study with the four criteria used. In children it shows a growing trend with all the criteria except that of the WHO. The prevalence of overweight is greater than that of obesity in all cases, except with the CDC criterion that the opposite occurs. The total prevalence (overweight and obesity) is lower with the Orbegozo criterion, both for children (32.7%) and for girls (27.1%) and the highest value is reached with the WHO criterion (51% for both).

Conclusions: It is of great importance that, when providing prevalence data, it is reported which criteria are being used and never compare data obtained with different diagnostic criteria or comparing periods of time where these criteria have varied.