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Cited by 360

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 36 of the 36 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Prevalence and Trends of Severe Obesity Among US Children and Adolescents

Open access
Skelton, Joseph A., Cook, Stephen R., Auinger, Peggy, Klein, Jonathan D., Barlow, Sarah E.·2009·Academic Pediatrics
DOI 10.1016/j.acap.2009.04.005
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Abstract

Objective To determine the extent to which the 2007 definitions for severe (body mass index ≥99th percentile for age and gender) and morbid (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) obesity affects different groups of American children and adolescents and has increased over time. Methods Analysis of nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) II, III, and 1999–2004;12,384 US children and adolescents ages 2–19 years were included in the analysis. Outcome measures were the proportion of subjects with severe (BMI ≥99th percentile) and morbid (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) obesity, with age, gender, race, and poverty-income ratio (PIR) as key variables. Results In 1999–2004, 3.8% of children 2–19 yr had a BMI ≥99th percentile, with higher prevalence among boys than girls (4.6% vs. 2.9%; p<0.001). Prevalence was highest among Blacks, 5.7% and Mexican Americans, 5.2%, compared with Whites 3.1% (p< 0.001). The prevalence differed by PIR category as well (4.3% for those with PIR ≤3 vs. 2.5% for those with PIR > 3; p = 0.002). A BMI ≥40 was found in 1.3% of adolescents 12–19 yr, with similar associations with race and poverty. The overall prevalence of BMI ≥99th percentile has increased by more than 300% since NHANES II (1976), and over 70% since NHANES III (1994) in children 2–19 years of age. Conclusion Rates of severe childhood obesity have tripled in the last 25 years, with significant differences by race, gender and poverty. This places demands on healthcare and community services, especially because the highest rates are among children who are frequently underserved by the health care system.

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Metadata

Authors
Skelton, J. A., Cook, S. R., Auinger, P., Klein, J. D., & Barlow, S. E.
Venue
Academic Pediatrics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-09
Volume
9
Issue
5
Pages
322-329
ISSN
1876-2859 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.acap.2009.04.005
OpenAlex
W2012642826
Cited by
360
References
36
FWCI
27.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Prevalence and Trends of Severe Obesity Among US Children and Adolescents. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1016/j.acap.2009.04.005
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Skelton, J. A., Cook, S. R., Auinger, P., Klein, J. D., & Barlow, S. E. (2009). Prevalence and Trends of Severe Obesity Among US Children and Adolescents. Academic Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2009.04.005

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