Yang, Zongjian (Oscar); Phung, Hai; Hughes, Ann-Maree; Sherwood, Sommer; Harper, Emily; Kelly, Paul
Description
Background: Due to the high prevalence and adverse consequences, overweight and obesity in children continues
to be a major public health concern worldwide. Socioeconomic background and health-related behaviours (such as
diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviors) are important factors associated with weight status in children.
Using a series of height and weight assessments from the Australian Capital Territory Physical Activity and Nutrition
Survey (ACTPANS), trends in prevalence of...[Show more] overweight and obesity by socioeconomic status were examined in ACT
Year 6 school children between 2006 and 2018.
Methods: The ACTPANS has been conducted every 3 years since 2006. A total of 6729 children were surveyed.
Complete data on height and weight were available for 6384 (94.9%) participants. Trends in the prevalence of
overweight and obesity and associations between weight status and risk factors (such as socioeconomic status,
physical activity, screen time and consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks (SSD)) were examined using logistic
regression.
Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity remained stable in girls (from 22.5% in 2006 to 21.6% in 2018)
but declined in boys (from 27.8 to 17.9%). During the same period, levels of physical activity increased slightly,
while screen time and the consumption of fast food and SSD decreased. Socioeconomic gradient, based on the
school-level Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA), was highly associated with prevalence of
overweight and obesity. Since 2006, the estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity has remained high in the
lowest SES groups, but a concurrent downward trend was observed in the highest SES group, leading to increasing
disparity between SES groups. Children in the lowest ICSEA quintile were more likely to be overweight or obese
compared to those in the moderate and highest ICSEA quintiles. Children in lower ICSEA quintiles also reported
lower levels of physical activity, higher levels of screen time, and higher levels of fast food and SSD consumption
compared to those in higher ICSEA quintiles.
Conclusions: While recent trends in overweight and obesity in ACT children are encouraging, the prevalence
remains unacceptably high, especially in those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additional prevention efforts
are required to address the socioeconomic disparity.
Keywords: Overweight, Obesity, Socioeconomic status, Children, Physical activity, Sedentary behaviour, Sugarsweetened
drinks