Childhood obesity and socioeconomic status: a novel role for height growth limitation

Joanne Elizabeth Cecil; P Watt; IS Murrie; W Wrieden; DJ Wallis; MM Hetherington; C Bolton-Smith; CN Palmer

doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803055

Childhood obesity and socioeconomic status: a novel role for height growth limitation

Joanne Elizabeth Cecil, P Watt, IS Murrie, W Wrieden, DJ Wallis, MM Hetherington, C Bolton-Smith, CN Palmer

School of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence and socioeconomic context of overweight and obesity in a cohort of Scottish children.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SETTING: Primary schools in Dundee, Angus, and Fife, Eastern Scotland, UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1240 boys and 1214 girls aged between 4-10 y.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Weight, height and body mass index (weight/height(2)).

RESULTS: Overall overweight or obesity prevalence was 24.6%, while prevalence of obesity alone was 6.1%. Individuals from schools with a high level of low-income families were 65% more likely to be overweight as judged by BMI. However, these children weighed the same as more affluent children of the same age, but were 1.26 cm shorter.

CONCLUSION: These data confirm the continued increase in childhood obesity in the UK and reveal a role for height-growth limitation in the absence of overall growth restriction, among children from low-income groups. This observation raises important questions regarding socioeconomic environmental factors in promoting the currently increasing levels of obesity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1199-1203
Number of pages	5
Journal	International Journal of Obesity
Volume	29
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803055
Publication status	Published - Oct 2005

Keywords

childhood obesity
height
socioeconomic status
growth
RISK-FACTORS
REFERENCE CURVES
CHILDREN
OVERWEIGHT
BIRTH
UK

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/sj.ijo.0803055

Cite this

@article{ed9294f6004343e69c13ccce1379ca04,

title = "Childhood obesity and socioeconomic status: a novel role for height growth limitation",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence and socioeconomic context of overweight and obesity in a cohort of Scottish children.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: Primary schools in Dundee, Angus, and Fife, Eastern Scotland, UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1240 boys and 1214 girls aged between 4-10 y.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Weight, height and body mass index (weight/height(2)).RESULTS: Overall overweight or obesity prevalence was 24.6%, while prevalence of obesity alone was 6.1%. Individuals from schools with a high level of low-income families were 65% more likely to be overweight as judged by BMI. However, these children weighed the same as more affluent children of the same age, but were 1.26 cm shorter.CONCLUSION: These data confirm the continued increase in childhood obesity in the UK and reveal a role for height-growth limitation in the absence of overall growth restriction, among children from low-income groups. This observation raises important questions regarding socioeconomic environmental factors in promoting the currently increasing levels of obesity.",

keywords = "childhood obesity, height, socioeconomic status, growth, RISK-FACTORS, REFERENCE CURVES, CHILDREN, OVERWEIGHT, BIRTH, UK",

author = "Cecil, {Joanne Elizabeth} and P Watt and IS Murrie and W Wrieden and DJ Wallis and MM Hetherington and C Bolton-Smith and CN Palmer",

note = "These data demonstrate a marked increase in childhood overweight and obesity compared with previous reports. Importantly, these data reveal that the increase in prevalence of obesity in the lower socioeconomic group is largely due to a relative height-growth limitation, and not overall mass gain in this social group. This finding has only been previously reported in developing countries, and raises important questions regarding socioeconomic factors in promoting the increasing levels of obesity seen today. My role in this paper: study design, data collection, data analyses, writing the manuscript.",

year = "2005",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1038/sj.ijo.0803055",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

pages = "1199--1203",

journal = "International Journal of Obesity",

issn = "0307-0565",

publisher = "Nature publishing group",

number = "10",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Childhood obesity and socioeconomic status: a novel role for height growth limitation

AU - Cecil, Joanne Elizabeth

AU - Watt, P

AU - Murrie, IS

AU - Wrieden, W

AU - Wallis, DJ

AU - Hetherington, MM

AU - Bolton-Smith, C

AU - Palmer, CN

N1 - These data demonstrate a marked increase in childhood overweight and obesity compared with previous reports. Importantly, these data reveal that the increase in prevalence of obesity in the lower socioeconomic group is largely due to a relative height-growth limitation, and not overall mass gain in this social group. This finding has only been previously reported in developing countries, and raises important questions regarding socioeconomic factors in promoting the increasing levels of obesity seen today. My role in this paper: study design, data collection, data analyses, writing the manuscript.

PY - 2005/10

Y1 - 2005/10

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence and socioeconomic context of overweight and obesity in a cohort of Scottish children.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: Primary schools in Dundee, Angus, and Fife, Eastern Scotland, UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1240 boys and 1214 girls aged between 4-10 y.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Weight, height and body mass index (weight/height(2)).RESULTS: Overall overweight or obesity prevalence was 24.6%, while prevalence of obesity alone was 6.1%. Individuals from schools with a high level of low-income families were 65% more likely to be overweight as judged by BMI. However, these children weighed the same as more affluent children of the same age, but were 1.26 cm shorter.CONCLUSION: These data confirm the continued increase in childhood obesity in the UK and reveal a role for height-growth limitation in the absence of overall growth restriction, among children from low-income groups. This observation raises important questions regarding socioeconomic environmental factors in promoting the currently increasing levels of obesity.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence and socioeconomic context of overweight and obesity in a cohort of Scottish children.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: Primary schools in Dundee, Angus, and Fife, Eastern Scotland, UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1240 boys and 1214 girls aged between 4-10 y.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Weight, height and body mass index (weight/height(2)).RESULTS: Overall overweight or obesity prevalence was 24.6%, while prevalence of obesity alone was 6.1%. Individuals from schools with a high level of low-income families were 65% more likely to be overweight as judged by BMI. However, these children weighed the same as more affluent children of the same age, but were 1.26 cm shorter.CONCLUSION: These data confirm the continued increase in childhood obesity in the UK and reveal a role for height-growth limitation in the absence of overall growth restriction, among children from low-income groups. This observation raises important questions regarding socioeconomic environmental factors in promoting the currently increasing levels of obesity.

KW - childhood obesity

KW - height

KW - socioeconomic status

KW - growth

KW - RISK-FACTORS

KW - REFERENCE CURVES

KW - CHILDREN

KW - OVERWEIGHT

KW - BIRTH

KW - UK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=30544454686&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v29/n10/abs/0803055a.html

U2 - 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803055

DO - 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803055

M3 - Article

SN - 0307-0565

VL - 29

SP - 1199

EP - 1203

JO - International Journal of Obesity

JF - International Journal of Obesity

IS - 10

ER -

Childhood obesity and socioeconomic status: a novel role for height growth limitation

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this