TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 Leads to Accelerated Increases in Children's BMI z-Score Gain
T2 - An Interrupted Time-Series Study
AU - Weaver, R. Glenn
AU - Hunt, Ethan T.
AU - Armstrong, Bridget
AU - Beets, Michael W.
AU - Brazendale, Keith
AU - Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle
AU - Pate, Russell R.
AU - Youngstedt, Shawn D.
AU - Dugger, Roddrick
AU - Parker, Hannah
AU - von Klinggraeff, Lauren
AU - Jones, Alexis
AU - Burkart, Sarah
AU - Ressor-Oyer, Layton
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively impacted children's weight status owing to the closure of schools, increased food insecurity and reliance on ultraprocessed foods, and reduced opportunities for outdoor activity. Methods: In this interrupted time-series study, height and weight were collected from children (n=1,770 children, mean age=8.7 years, 55.3% male, 64.6% Black) and were transformed into BMI z-score in each August/September from 2017 to 2020. Mixed-effects linear regression estimated yearly BMI z-score change before the COVID-19 pandemic year (i.e., 2017–2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic year (i.e., 2019–2020). Subgroup analyses by sex, race (i.e., Black, White, other race), weight status (overweight or obese and normal weight), and grade (i.e., lower=kindergarten−2nd grade and upper=3rd−6th grade) were conducted. Results: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, children's yearly BMI z-score change was +0.03 (95% CI= −0.10, 0.15). Change during the COVID-19 pandemic was +0.34 (95% CI=0.21, 0.47), an acceleration in BMI z-score change of +0.31 (95% CI=0.19, 0.44). For girls and boys, BMI z-score change accelerated by +0.33 (95% CI=0.16, 0.50) and +0.29 (95% CI=0.12, 0.46), respectively, during the pandemic year. Acceleration in BMI z-score change during the pandemic year was observed for children who were Black (+0.41, 95% CI=0.21, 0.61) and White (+0.22, 95% CI=0.06, 0.39). For children classified as normal weight, BMI z-score change accelerated by +0.58 (95% CI=0.40, 0.76). Yearly BMI z-score change accelerated for lower elementary/primary (+0.23, 95% CI=0.08, 0.37) and upper elementary/primary (+0.42, 95% CI=0.42, 0.63) children. Conclusions: If similar BMI z-score accelerations occurred for children across the world, public health interventions to address this rapid unhealthy BMI gain will be urgently needed.
AB - Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively impacted children's weight status owing to the closure of schools, increased food insecurity and reliance on ultraprocessed foods, and reduced opportunities for outdoor activity. Methods: In this interrupted time-series study, height and weight were collected from children (n=1,770 children, mean age=8.7 years, 55.3% male, 64.6% Black) and were transformed into BMI z-score in each August/September from 2017 to 2020. Mixed-effects linear regression estimated yearly BMI z-score change before the COVID-19 pandemic year (i.e., 2017–2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic year (i.e., 2019–2020). Subgroup analyses by sex, race (i.e., Black, White, other race), weight status (overweight or obese and normal weight), and grade (i.e., lower=kindergarten−2nd grade and upper=3rd−6th grade) were conducted. Results: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, children's yearly BMI z-score change was +0.03 (95% CI= −0.10, 0.15). Change during the COVID-19 pandemic was +0.34 (95% CI=0.21, 0.47), an acceleration in BMI z-score change of +0.31 (95% CI=0.19, 0.44). For girls and boys, BMI z-score change accelerated by +0.33 (95% CI=0.16, 0.50) and +0.29 (95% CI=0.12, 0.46), respectively, during the pandemic year. Acceleration in BMI z-score change during the pandemic year was observed for children who were Black (+0.41, 95% CI=0.21, 0.61) and White (+0.22, 95% CI=0.06, 0.39). For children classified as normal weight, BMI z-score change accelerated by +0.58 (95% CI=0.40, 0.76). Yearly BMI z-score change accelerated for lower elementary/primary (+0.23, 95% CI=0.08, 0.37) and upper elementary/primary (+0.42, 95% CI=0.42, 0.63) children. Conclusions: If similar BMI z-score accelerations occurred for children across the world, public health interventions to address this rapid unhealthy BMI gain will be urgently needed.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.04.007
DO - 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.04.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 34148734
AN - SCOPUS:85108562424
SN - 0749-3797
VL - 61
SP - e161-e169
JO - American journal of preventive medicine
JF - American journal of preventive medicine
IS - 4
ER -