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Overweight and obesity from childhood to adulthood: a follow-up of participants in the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey
Citation
Venn, A and Thomson, Russell and Schmidt, MD and Cleland, V and Curry, BA and Gennat, HC and Dwyer, T, Overweight and obesity from childhood to adulthood: a follow-up of participants in the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey, Medical Journal of Australia, 186, (9) pp. 458-460. ISSN 0025-729X (2007) [Refereed Article]
Abstract
Objective: To examine overweight and obesity in Australian children followed through to adulthood. Design and participants: A cohort study of 8498 children aged 7-15 years who participated in the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey; of these, 2208 men and 2363 women completed a follow-up questionnaire at age 24-34 years in 2001-2005. Main outcome measures: Height and weight were measured in 1985, and self-reported at follow-up. The accuracy of self-reported data was checked in 1185 participants. Overweight and obesity in childhood were defined according to international standard definitions for body mass index (BMI), and, in adulthood, as a BMI of 25-29.9 and ≥ 30 kg/m 2, respectively, after correcting for self-report error. Results: In those with baseline and follow-up data, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood was 8.3% and 1.5% in boys and 9.7% and 1.4% in girls, respectively. At follow-up, the prevalence was 40.1% and 13.0% in men and 19.7% and 11.7% in women. The relative risk (RR) of becoming an obese adult was significantly greater for those who had been obese as children compared with those who had been a healthy weight (RR = 4.7; 95% CI, 3.0-7.2 for boys and RR = 9.2; 95% CI, 6.9-12.3 for girls). The proportion of adult obesity attributable to childhood obesity was 6.4% in males and 12.6% in females. Conclusion: Obesity in childhood was strongly predictive of obesity in early adulthood, but most obese young adults were a healthy weight as children.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Medical and Health Sciences |
| Research Group: | Public Health and Health Services |
| Research Field: | Epidemiology |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions) |
| Objective Field: | Cardiovascular System and Diseases |
| Author: | Venn, A (Professor Alison Venn) |
| Author: | Thomson, Russell (Dr Russell Thomson) |
| Author: | Schmidt, MD (Dr Michael Schmidt) |
| Author: | Cleland, V (Dr Verity Cleland) |
| Author: | Curry, BA (Mrs Beverley Curry) |
| Author: | Gennat, HC (Dr Hanni Gennat) |
| Author: | Dwyer, T (Professor Terry Dwyer) |
| ID Code: | 47228 |
| Year Published: | 2007 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 138 |
| Deposited By: | Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
| Deposited On: | 2007-08-01 |
| Last Modified: | 2010-05-12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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