Changes in Body Mass Index Among Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Obesity is the most common chronic illness among children. Prior studies revealed increases in obesity among adults due to the pandemic, but less is known about how it has impacted children’s weight. Using data for over 191,000 children in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California electronic medical records, the authors compared weight gain in 2020 to a similar period in 2019 prior to the pandemic. The results showed that overall, children gained more weight during 2020 than during 2019. The excess weight gain was most notable among the youngest group of children 5 to 11 years old, who on average gained 5 lbs extra during 2020 compared to 2019. This excess weight gain resulted in the prevalence of overweight and obesity increasing by almost 9% in 2020 among this age group. This study underscores the importance of closely monitoring children’s growth and the need for efforts to help families achieve and maintain healthy lifestyle practices while handling the pressures of living in the midst of a pandemic.
Collaborators:
Margo Sidell, ScD; Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena
Xia Li, MSc; Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena
Veronica Else, RN, MSN; Kaiser Permanente Yorba Linda Medical Offices, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Yorba Linda
Deborah R. Young, PhD; Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena
Ken Resnicow, PhD; Department of Health Behavior, Health Education of the School of Public Health of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Corinna Koebnick, PhD; Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena