Systematic Review of Prevalence of Young Child Overweight and Obesity in the United States–Affiliated Pacific Region Compared With the 48 Contiguous States: The Children’s Healthy Living Program

Abstract

We estimated overweight and obesity (OWOB) prevalence of children in US-Affiliated Pacific jurisdictions (USAP) of the Children's Healthy Living Program compared with the contiguous United States. We searched peer-reviewed literature and government reports (January 2001–April 2014) for OWOB prevalence of children aged 2 to 8 years in the USAP and found 24 sources. We used 3 articles from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys for comparison. Mixed models regressed OWOB prevalence on an age polynomial to compare trends (n = 246 data points). In the USAP, OWOB prevalence estimates increased with age, from 21% at age 2 years to 39% at age 8 years, increasing markedly at age 5 years; the proportion obese increased from 10% at age 2 years to 23% at age 8 years. The highest prevalence was in American Samoa and Guam.

Overweight and Obesity Prevalence among Public School Children in Guam

“…Obesity has been shown to have disparate effect on children among ethnic groups in the United States, 6–7 as well as among children across jurisdictions in the United States–Affiliated Pacific region, including Guam. 26 Other studies 27–28 have found ethnic differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults on Guam. It will be useful to know if there are ethnicity-specific differences in childhood obesity among public school children on Guam.…”

Persistent disparities in obesity risk among public schoolchildren from childhood through adolescence

“…A systematic review of the overweight and obesity prevalence among young children (ages 2 to 8) in the United States also revealed that the prevalence increased sharply at 4-5 years of age, for which one reason could be the changes in the food and physical environment that a school brings (Novotny et al, 2015). Based on the 2003-2004 NHANES, one study found that the level of physical activities among youth declined dramatically as age increased, independent of confounding factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (Whitt-Glover et al, 2009).…”

Pacific Food Guide

“…The unique relationship that all these jurisdictions have with the United States has been outlined in another publication. 9 They are all part of the Land Grant system, 10 one of the few unifying institutions across the Pacific Region. In addition, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Hawai'i participate in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, 11 the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, 12 and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.…”