All issues > Volume 51(9); 2008

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(9):950-955. Published online September 15, 2008.

Prevalence and trends in obesity among Korean children and adolescents in 1997 and 2005

Kyungwon KW Oh¹, Myoung Jin MJ Jang¹, Na Yeoun NY Lee¹, Jin Soo JS Moon², Chong Guk CG Lee², Myung Hwan MH Yoo¹, Young Taek YT Kim¹

¹Division of Chronic Disease Surveillance, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
²Department of Pediatrics, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital

Correspondence Young Taek YT Kim ,Email: ruyoung@cdc.go.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: The objective of this study was to provide current estimates of the prevalence and examine trends of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.
Methods
: Height and weight measurements from 183,159 (112,974 in 1997, 70,185 in 2005) children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years were obtained via the 1997 and 2005 National Growth Survey. Obesity among children and adolescents was defined as being at or above the 95th percentile of the gender-specific body mass index (BMI) for age in the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts or a BMI of 25 or higher; overweight was defined as being at or above the 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile BMI.
Results
: In 2005, 9.7% (11.3% for boys, 8.0% for girls) of South Korean children and adolescents were obese; 19.0% (19.7% for boys, 18.2% for girls) were overweight or obese. The overall prevalence of obesity increased from 5.8% in 1997 to 9.7% in 2005 (from 6.1% in 1997 to 11.3% in 2005 for boys and from 5.5% in 1997 to 8.0% in 2005 for girls); the increasing trend was most evident in boys, especially those aged 13-18 years.
Conclusion
: The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents increased significantly during the eight-year period from 1997 to 2005. This study suggests that we need to make a priority of developing strategies to control obesity in children and adolescents; the potential health effects of increases in obesity are of considerable public health importance.

Keywords :Obesity, Overweight, Body mass index, Children and adolescents, Growth chart