BMI-for-age graphs with severe obesity percentile curves: tools for plotting cross-sectional and longitudinal youth BMI data

BMC Pediatrics

Technical Advance

Liyang Yu¹  Nicholas C. DuPont¹  B. Ruth Clark²  Susan B. Racette² 

[1] Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8067, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, 63110, St. Louis, MO, USA;Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8502 4444 Forest Park Avenue, 63108, St. Louis, MO, USA;

关键词: Body mass index;    Obesity;    Overweight;    Excessive body weight;    Children;    Adolescents;    Graphing tool;    Weight status;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12887-017-0885-x

 received in 2016-12-04, accepted in 2017-05-10,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSevere obesity is an important and distinct weight status classification that is associated with disease risk and is increasing in prevalence among youth. The ability to graphically present population weight status data, ranging from underweight through severe obesity class 3, is novel and applicable to epidemiologic research, intervention studies, case reports, and clinical care.MethodsThe aim was to create body mass index (BMI) graphing tools to generate sex-specific BMI-for-age graphs that include severe obesity percentile curves. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention youth reference data sets and weight status criteria to generate the percentile curves. The statistical software environments SAS and R were used to create two different graphing options.ResultsThis article provides graphing tools for creating sex-specific BMI-for-age graphs for males and females ages 2 to <20 years. The novel aspects of these graphing tools are an expanded BMI range to accommodate BMI values ˃35 kg/m2, inclusion of percentile curves for severe obesity classes 2 and 3, the ability to plot individual data for thousands of children and adolescents on a single graph, and the ability to generate cross-sectional and longitudinal graphs.ConclusionsThese new BMI graphing tools will enable investigators, public health professionals, and clinicians to view and present youth weight status data in novel and meaningful ways.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017