Comparison of Two Obesity Criteria Among Primary and Secondary School Students in Jing'an District in Shanghai

Objective To compare the results of obesity status by using weight-forheight standard method and the Body Mass Index(BMI) Reference Norm for Screening Overweight and Obesity in Chinese Children and Adolescents made by WGOC in 2003.Methods Using weight-for-height standard method and reference standard of BMI made by WGOC,a cross-sectional assessment of obesity and overweight was carried out in monitoring school students(aged 7-18) in Jing'an District,Shanghai.Two groups of obesity students' characteristics were compared with each other.Results 1) By using weight-for-height method and BMI,the prevalence rates of obesity were 16.44% and 10.51% and the prevalence rates of overweight were 12.90% and 15.31%.2) The prevalence rates of obesity and overweight were significantly different using the two methods.There were 4.41%(734/16 640)of the students unable to be screened using weight-for-height method and 91.69%(673/734) were boys aged 13-17.3)There were more obesity students in primary schools than in middle schools,and more obesity students in boys than in girls with two both criteria.Conclusion Weight-for-height standard in 1985 can not correctly reflect the status of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents,and BMI criteria made by WGOC in 2003 is a more scientific method in screening normal,overweight and obesity students.