Prevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Obesity Among US Youth Aged 2-19 Years: An Analysis Using Pooled 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Data.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational analysis of national survey data
PubMed 41939547 · doi:10.7759/cureus.104716
What was done
Researchers conducted a nationally representative, survey-weighted cross-sectional analysis of pooled 2011-2018 NHANES data for US youth aged 2-19 years with complete anthropometric and demographic records. Obesity was defined as BMI at or above the age- and sex-specific 95th percentile based on CDC growth charts. Demographic and socioeconomic correlates were analyzed using survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression accounting for the complex sampling design.
What was found
Obesity prevalence varied significantly by age group, household income-to-poverty ratio, and race/ethnicity. Youth from low-income households (income-to-poverty ratio <1.3) had significantly higher odds of obesity than those from high-income households (OR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.50-2.30; p < 0.001). Higher odds were also observed among adolescents aged 12-19 years compared with children aged 2-5 years, and Mexican American youth demonstrated the highest prevalence among racial and ethnic groups. Sex was not independently associated with obesity after adjustment. Specific overall prevalence percentages and effect sizes for age and race categories were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
The findings demonstrate persistent socioeconomic and demographic disparities in pediatric obesity across the United States. Identifying low-income households and specific demographic subgroups as carrying the highest burden helps inform targeted prevention and public health resource allocation.
Limits
The cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships between social factors and obesity risk. The abstract does not provide the total sample size (n), overall prevalence figures, or specific odds ratios for age and race categories. The pooled 2011-2018 data may not reflect post-2018 or pandemic-era shifts in childhood obesity.
Cited by
- partial Approximately 25% to 30% of American teenagers are classified as obese.