Identifying Preschool Children at Risk for Obesity
Author Information
Author(s): Timpka Toomas, Angbratt Marianne, Bolme Per, Hermansson Göran, Häger Anders, Valter Lars
Primary Institution: Linköping University
Hypothesis
Can a population-derived protocol accurately identify preschool children at risk for obesity in preadolescence?
Conclusion
A simple and inexpensive decision protocol based on BMI values proved to have high precision and specificity for identifying preschool children at risk for obesity persisting into adolescence.
Supporting Evidence
- The protocol selected 1.4% of preschool children as being at obesity risk.
- The precision of the protocol was 82% for girls and 80% for boys.
- The specificity was 100% for both boys and girls.
- The sensitivity was higher for girls (41%) than for boys (21%).
- The relative risk for obesity at age 10 was significantly higher for those selected by the protocol.
Takeaway
This study created a way to find young kids who might stay overweight as they grow up, using simple measurements like height and weight.
Methodology
Data from child health surveillance for 5778 children born in a Swedish county in 1991 were analyzed, focusing on height and weight measurements from ages 1.5 to 5.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in selection due to reliance on existing health data and the exclusion of children who moved out of the county.
Limitations
The protocol may miss a significant number of obese children, particularly boys, as it primarily identifies those already obese.
Participant Demographics
Children born in Östergötland, Sweden, in 1991, including 3030 boys and 2748 girls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 56.6 to 798.4 for girls; 95% CI 24.5 to 589.9 for boys
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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