Dataset Information

Overweight, obesity, and thinness among a nationally representative sample of Norwegian adolescents and changes from childhood: Associations with sex, region, and population density.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and thinness among Norwegian 13-year-olds and the changes from childhood (age 8 years) to adolescence (age 13 years); and to explore associations with sex, region, and population density from childhood to adolescence.

Design

We used longitudinal, anthropometric data collected by school health nurses conducted in Norway. Weight status was classified according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs for overweight, obesity, and thinness, and according to mean body mass index (kg/m2).

Participants

The Norwegian Youth Growth Study, consisting of a nationally representative sample of Norwegian 13-year-olds (n = 1852; 50.7% girls), which is a part of The Norwegian Growth Cohort.

Results

Among 13-year-old Norwegians, the prevalence of overweight (including obesity), obesity, and thinness was 15.8%, 2.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. There was little evidence that these had changed from 8 to 13 years. From 8 to 13 years, the odds of obesity was highest in the Northern region of Norway compared to the South-East (odds ratio (OR): 3.78 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 12.65; p = 0.036) and in rural areas (OR: 4.76 (95% CI: 1.52, 14.90; p = 0.027). Over the same age period, girls had a trend towards a higher odds of thinness compared to boys (OR: 1.65 (95% CI: 0.98, 2.78; p = 0.057).

Conclusions

In Norway, the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and thinness among 13-year-olds seem to be established by age 8 years. The prevalence of obesity was higher in the North and in rural areas. The results indicate the continued need for early prevention and treatment, and targeted interventions to certain areas.

SUBMITTER: Ovrebo B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8330951 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectiveSociodemographic changes in Norway and other western industrialised countries, including family structure and an increasing proportion of cohabiting and divorced parents, might affect the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity issues. We aimed to examine whether parental marital status was associated with general and abdominal obesity among children. We also sought to explore whether the associations differed by gender.DesignCross-sectional.Setting127 primary schools across Norway.Participant3166 third graders (mean age 8.3?years) participating in the nationally representative Norwegian Child Growth Study in 2010.MeasurementsHeight, weight and waist circumference were objectively measured. The main outcome measures were general overweight (including obesity; body mass index ?25?kg/m(2)) using International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-offs and abdominal obesity (waist-to-height ratio ?0.5) by gender and parental marital status. Prevalence ratios, adjusted for possible confounders, were calculated by log-binomial regression.ResultsGeneral overweight (including obesity) was 1.54 (95% CI 1.21 to 1.95) times more prevalent among children of divorced parents compared with children of married parents, and the corresponding prevalence ratio for abdominal obesity was 1.89 (95% CI 1.35 to 2.65). Formal tests of the interaction term parental marital status by gender were not statistically significant. However, in gender-specific analyses the association between parental marital status and adiposity measures was only statistically significant in boys (p=0.04 for general overweight (including obesity) and p=0.01 for abdominal obesity). The estimates were robust against adjustment for maternal education, family country background and current area of residence.ConclusionsGeneral and abdominal obesities were more prevalent among children of divorced parents. This study provides valuable information by focusing on societal changes in order to identify vulnerable groups.