Socioeconomic Status, Overweight, and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence­Secular Trends From the Nationwide German Kiggs Study

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity in early life increase the risk of chronic disease and ill health later on. We studied secular trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among young people in Germany, with consideration of socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: We used repeated cross-sectional data from 3- to 17-year-olds from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). Overweight and obesity were defined according to the body mass index, based on measured height and weight from the KiGGS baseline survey (2003-2006) and the KiGGS second wave (2014-2017). SES was assessed with a composite index of parental education, occupation, and income. RESULTS: In both study periods, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was highest among girls and boys from families of low SES. In the group with lowest SES, the prevalence of overweight rose from 20.0% in 2003-2006 (95% CI [18.0; 22.1]) to 25.5% [20.5; 31.2] in 2014-2017 (p = 0.043). Thus, social differences in the prevalence of overweight increased over time. No such trend was found for the prevalence of obesity. CONCLUSION: Social differences in the prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents increased from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s. Structural measures are needed to help prevent overweight among young people in socially disadvantaged circumstances.