Prevalence of Overweight in Children with Developmental Disorders in the Continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of overweight in children identified with developmental disorders on the basis of nationally representative survey data.

Study design

We estimated the prevalence of overweight in children with developmental disorders on the basis of a recent large nationally representative survey. The continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002 included 4 questions to identify children with developmental disorders. Height and weight were used to calculate body mass index (BMI). BMI percentiles were estimated relative to the age- and sex-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth reference. The 85th percentile BMI defined at-risk-for-overweight and the 95th percentile BMI defined overweight.

Results

We found a higher prevalence of at-risk-for overweight and overweight among children with limitations in physical activity and a higher prevalence of overweight in girls with learning disabilities, compared with children without these conditions, after adjustment for age and race-ethnicity.

Conclusion

To the extent that children with developmental disorders are included in large representative surveys, the data suggest that children with developmental disorders have a risk for overweight that is at least as great as that of typically developing children.

BMI, Body mass index, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, LD, Learning disability, MR, Mental retardation, NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey