Prevalence and Trends of Obesity among Chinese Korean Na¬tionality Children and Adolescents, 1991- 2010

Obesity has become a serious problem for Chinese Han nationality. This research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and trends in obesity among Chinese Korean nationality children and adolescents (1991–2010).
We used data from Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health (CNSSCH). CNSSCH was utilized to monitor Chinese students’ health condition and released its data every 5 yr (1991, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010). The standard weight-for-height was the 80th percentile for sex- and age-specific growth charts based on the 1985 CNSSCH data. Obesity was defined as ≧120% of standard weight-for-height.
The total age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 15.9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 14.9-16.9%) among Chinese Korean children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 yr. Children or adolescents who were boys (Rate ratios (RR), 1.35; 95% CI, 1.19–1.53) or aged 10–12 (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17–1.63) were more likely to be obese. The trend analysis of the 19-yr period implied a serious annual increasing trend during 1991-2000 (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.07) and during 2000-2010 (RR,, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.11–1.13). Chinese Korean children may also be more likely to become obese than Han nationality children during 1991-2010.
A serious and continuous increasing trend was in the prevalence of obesity among Chinese Korean children and adolescents during 1991–2010. Childhood obesity had become a serious problem. This prognosis is worrisome.