Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012

Background: Childhood obesity has been recognized as a major public health concern. The purpose of this study was to determine specific shifting patterns of BMI and skinfold fatness across different age and sex groups between 1985/87 and 2012. Methods: The data of 9,366 children aged 8-15 years fro...

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Main Authors: Yan Yang, Weimo Zhu, Songtao Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2016-12-01
Series:Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health
Online Access:http://ebph.it/article/view/12067
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author Yan Yang
Weimo Zhu
Songtao Wang
author_facet Yan Yang
Weimo Zhu
Songtao Wang
author_sort Yan Yang
collection DOAJ
description Background: Childhood obesity has been recognized as a major public health concern. The purpose of this study was to determine specific shifting patterns of BMI and skinfold fatness across different age and sex groups between 1985/87 and 2012. Methods: The data of 9,366 children aged 8-15 years from two nationally representative surveys, i.e., 1985/87 National Children and Youth Fitness Study I & II and 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey National Youth Fitness Survey, were analyzed. Specifically, changes of BMI-based obesity prevalence and shifting patterns of BMI, height, weight, skinfold body fat percentage (skinfold-fat%), subscapular skinfold, and triceps skinfold from 1985/87 to 2012 were estimated by age and sex using the 1985/87 quartiles as the baseline. Results: Significantly increased obesity prevalence were reconfirmed for both boys (12.12%, P <.001) and girls (3.53%, P <.001) from 1985/87 to 2012. Except for height, all other measures in 2012 experienced an unbalanced shifting pattern, mainly from other quartiles into the 4th quartile of 1985/87. Conclusion: The shifting of both boys’ and girls’ BMI and skinfold-fat% were all concentrated in the 4th quartile of 1985/87, indicating not only that there was a significant increase in BMI and skinfold-fat% in the U.S. children from 1985/87 to 2012, but also into the overweight and obese subgroups, which serves as a serious warning for childhood obesity epidemic and public health.
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spelling doaj-art-bba73b90fb0346119d31879e332c8eef2025-08-20T01:55:05ZengMilano University PressEpidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health2282-09302016-12-0113410.2427/1206710804Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012Yan Yang0Weimo Zhu1Songtao Wang2University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignSouth China Normal UniversityBackground: Childhood obesity has been recognized as a major public health concern. The purpose of this study was to determine specific shifting patterns of BMI and skinfold fatness across different age and sex groups between 1985/87 and 2012. Methods: The data of 9,366 children aged 8-15 years from two nationally representative surveys, i.e., 1985/87 National Children and Youth Fitness Study I & II and 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey National Youth Fitness Survey, were analyzed. Specifically, changes of BMI-based obesity prevalence and shifting patterns of BMI, height, weight, skinfold body fat percentage (skinfold-fat%), subscapular skinfold, and triceps skinfold from 1985/87 to 2012 were estimated by age and sex using the 1985/87 quartiles as the baseline. Results: Significantly increased obesity prevalence were reconfirmed for both boys (12.12%, P <.001) and girls (3.53%, P <.001) from 1985/87 to 2012. Except for height, all other measures in 2012 experienced an unbalanced shifting pattern, mainly from other quartiles into the 4th quartile of 1985/87. Conclusion: The shifting of both boys’ and girls’ BMI and skinfold-fat% were all concentrated in the 4th quartile of 1985/87, indicating not only that there was a significant increase in BMI and skinfold-fat% in the U.S. children from 1985/87 to 2012, but also into the overweight and obese subgroups, which serves as a serious warning for childhood obesity epidemic and public health.http://ebph.it/article/view/12067
spellingShingle Yan Yang
Weimo Zhu
Songtao Wang
Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012
Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health
title Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012
title_full Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012
title_fullStr Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012
title_full_unstemmed Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012
title_short Shifting Patterns of BMI and Skinfold Fatness among US Children: 1985/87 vs. 2012
title_sort shifting patterns of bmi and skinfold fatness among us children 1985 87 vs 2012
url http://ebph.it/article/view/12067
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AT songtaowang shiftingpatternsofbmiandskinfoldfatnessamonguschildren198587vs2012