Association of Changes in Obesity Prevalence With the COVID-19 Pandemic in Youth in Massachusetts

Purpose: In Canada, the incidence of childhood obesity has tripled within the past 20 years. The prevalence of obesity in the Timmins, Ontario, student population was studied to gain knowledge for program planning and resource allocation, and to compare Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria with Cole’s international criteria for childhood obesity. Methods: Anthropometric measurements of 801 students were taken. Students were chosen from randomly selected schools for each grade. Data were analyzed according to age, gender, and ethnicity. Data were also compared with other studies. Intragroup comparisons were performed using hypothesis testing for significance with the z table and chi-square test. Results: Overweight and obesity prevalence was 28% according to CDC criteria. No statistical difference was found between genders or among ethnic groups, or between this study and other Canadian studies. In comparison with the CDC criteria, Cole’s international criteria indicated less obesity and increased overweight prevalence. These differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The findings suggest that in the northern Ontario community of Timmins, the prevalence of childhood obesity is of epidemic proportions. When the findings are shared with different agencies, this study will help the health unit to take necessary public health measures to curb the epidemic.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Dynamic model predicting overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity prevalence trends.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718373353.793494695 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

David Allison

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Model ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Extreme Obesity ◽

Prevalence Trends

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Trends and Inequalities in Overall and Abdominal Obesity by Sociodemographic Factors in Korean Adults, 1998–2018

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18084162 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 4162

Author(s):

Ha-Jin Jang ◽

Hannah Oh

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Abdominal Obesity ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Nutrition Examination Survey ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Korean Adults ◽

Health And Nutrition ◽

Education College ◽

Small Change ◽

Over Time

Few studies have comprehensively examined the nationwide trends in overall and abdominal obesity prevalence and related sociodemographic inequalities in Korea. In the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1998–2018, we estimated the age-standardized prevalence of overall (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥ 90 cm men, ≥85 cm women) in each sociodemographic subgroup of Korean adults (aged 19–79 years). For each survey year, weighted logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between obesity prevalence and sociodemographic factors. During the study period, the prevalence of overall and abdominal obesity increased in men (24.8% to 42.4%; 20.1% to 32.1%; respectively) but only a small change was observed in women (26.5% to 26.0%; 22.7% to 20.9%; respectively). Obesity prevalence increased in all sociodemographic groups of men but varied across groups in women. In women, income (4th vs. 1st quartiles in 2016–2018: OR (95% CI) = 0.66 (0.56–0.78) overall obesity; 0.60 (0.51–0.71) abdominal obesity) and education (college or higher vs. high school or less: 0.62 (0.54–0.72) overall obesity; 0.58 (0.50–0.68) abdominal obesity) were inversely associated with obesity prevalence, and the gaps became more pronounced since 2007. Our data suggest that the inequalities in obesity prevalence by sex and by socioeconomic status have become more apparent over time in Korea.

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Evolution of the prevalence of obesity in the adult population in France, 2013–2016: the Constances study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93432-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sébastien Czernichow ◽

Adeline Renuy ◽

Claire Rives-Lange ◽

Claire Carette ◽

Guillaume Airagnes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Linear Trend ◽

Adult Population ◽

Age Groups ◽

French Population ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Point Change ◽

Men And Women ◽

Class 1 ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

Age And Sex

AbstractThis study provides trends in obesity prevalence in adults from 2013 to 2016 in France. 63,582 men and women from independent samples upon inclusion from the Constances cohort were included. Anthropometrics were measured at Health Screening Centers and obesity defined as a Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2; obesity classes according to BMI are as follows: class 1 [30–34.9]; class 2 [35–39.9]; class 3 [≥ 40 kg/m2]. Linear trends across obesity classes by sex and age groups were examined in regression models and percentage point change from 2013 to 2016 for each age category calculated. All analyses accounted for sample weights for non-response, age and sex-calibrated to the French population. Prevalence of obesity ranged from 14.2 to 15.2% and from 14 to 15.3% in women and men respectively from 2013 to 2016. Class 1 obesity category prevalence was the only one to increase significantly across survey years in both men and women (p for linear trend = 0.04 and 0.01 in women and men respectively). The only significant increase for obesity was observed in the age group 18–29 y in both women and men (+ 2.71% and + 3.26% point increase respectively, equivalent to an approximate rise of 50% in women and 93% in men, p = 0.03 and 0.02 respectively). After adjustment for survey non-response and for age and sex distribution, the results show that class 1 obesity prevalence has significantly increased in both women and men from 2013 to 2016, and only in young adults in a representative sample of the French population aged 18–69 years old.

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Time trends in socio-economic, urban-rural and regional disparities in prevalence of obesity among non-pregnant women in Lesotho: evidence from Lesotho demographic and health surveys (2004–2014)

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10571-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Betregiorgis Zegeye ◽

Gebretsadik Shibre ◽

Gashaw Garedew Woldeamanuel

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Health Surveys ◽

Educational Inequality ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

World Health ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

Health Organization

Abstract Background The growing rates of obesity in developing countries are alarming. There is a paucity of evidence about disparities of obesity in Lesotho. This study examined socioeconomic and area-based inequalities in obesity among non-pregnant women in Lesotho. Methods Data were extracted from the 2004, 2009 and 2014 Lesotho Demographic and Health Surveys (LDHS) and analyzed through the recently updated Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) of the World Health Organization. Obesity prevalence was disaggregated by four equity stratifiers, namely education, wealth, residence and sub-national region. For each equity stratifier, simple and complex as well as relative and absolute summary measures were calculated. A 95% confidence interval was used to measure statistical significance of findings. Results We noticed substantial wealth-driven (D = -21.10, 95% CI; − 25.94, − 16.26), subnational region (PAR = -11.82, 95%CI; − 16.09, − 7.55) and urban-rural (− 9.82, 95% CI; − 13.65, − 5.99) inequalities in obesity prevalence without the inequalities improved over time in all the studied years. However, we did not identify educational inequality in obesity. Conclusions Wealth-driven and geographical inequalities was identified in Lesotho in all the studied time periods while education related inequalities did not appear during the same time period. All population groups in the country need to be reached with interventions to reduce the burden of obesity in the country.

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Educational inequalities in obesity: a multilevel analysis of survey data from cities in Latin America

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002457 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Mónica Mazariegos ◽

Amy H Auchincloss ◽

Ariela Braverman-Bronstein ◽

María F Kroker-Lobos ◽

Manuel Ramírez-Zea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Economic Development ◽

Survey Data ◽

Latin American ◽

Effect Modification ◽

University Education ◽

Educational Inequalities ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

American Cities

Abstract Objective: Using newly harmonised individual-level data on health and socio-economic environments in Latin American cities (from the Salud Urbana en América Latina (SALURBAL) study), we assessed the association between obesity and education levels and explored potential effect modification of this association by city-level socio-economic development. Design: This cross-sectional study used survey data collected between 2002 and 2017. Absolute and relative educational inequalities in obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, derived from measured weight and height) were calculated first. Then, a two-level mixed-effects logistic regression was run to test for effect modification of the education–obesity association by city-level socio-economic development. All analyses were stratified by sex. Setting: One hundred seventy-six Latin American cities within eight countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru). Participants: 53 186 adults aged >18 years old. Results: Among women, 25 % were living with obesity and obesity was negatively associated with educational level (higher education–lower obesity) and this pattern was consistent across city-level socio-economic development. Among men, 18 % were living with obesity and there was a positive association between education and obesity (higher education–higher obesity) for men living in cities with lower levels of development, whereas for those living in cities with higher levels of development, the pattern was inverted and university education was protective of obesity. Conclusions: Among women, education was protective of obesity regardless, whereas among men, it was only protective in cities with higher levels of development. These divergent results suggest the need for sex- and city-specific interventions to reduce obesity prevalence and inequalities.

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