Body mass index trajectories of Indigenous Australian children and relation to screen time, diet, and demographic factors.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Limited cross-sectional data indicate elevated overweight/obesity prevalence among Indigenous versus non-Indigenous Australian children. This study aims to quantify body mass index (BMI) trajectories among Indigenous Australian children aged 3-6 and 6-9 years and to identify factors associated with the development of overweight/obesity.

Methods

Three-year BMI change was examined in up to 1,157 children in the national Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. BMI trajectories among children with normal baseline BMI (n = 907/1,157) were quantified using growth curve models.

Results

Baseline prevalences of overweight/obesity were 12.1% and 25.4% among children of mean age 3 and 6 years, respectively. Of children with normal baseline BMI, 31.9% had overweight/

SUBMITTER: Thurber KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5396259 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature