BMI up in 3- and 4-year-olds in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic
THURSDAY, Jan. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — There was an increase in body mass index (BMI) in 3- and 4-year-olds in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in European Journal of Public Health.
Anna Fäldt, MD, from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues examined changes in BMI among preschool children in Sweden before and during the covid-19 pandemic in a retrospective population-based cross-sectional study. Data were included for 25,049 children from three Swedish regions, with growth measures at 3, 4, and 5 years of age (16,237, 14,437, and 11,711 children, respectively).
The researchers found that during the covid-19 pandemic there was a significant increase in BMI in children aged 3 and 4 years. In 3-year-old girls, obesity increased from 2.8 to 3.9 percent. Increases in obesity and overweight (girls) were seen in 4-year-olds, while the prevalence of underweight decreased among boys. In 5-year-olds, no change in BMI was noted. A higher risk of obesity was seen for children in areas of low socioeconomic status.
“Although Sweden did not have a lockdown in the same way as many other countries during the pandemic, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in 3- and 4-year-olds, and even at such a young age the socio-economic differences are evident,” said a co-author in a statement. “The study highlights the need for additional interventions and interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity, particularly in areas of lower socioeconomic status.”