PMID- 16101644
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20051101
LR  - 20050816
IS  - 0305-1862 (Print)
IS  - 0305-1862 (Linking)
VI  - 31
IP  - 5
DP  - 2005 Sep
TI  - Overweight and obesity in Irish primary schools: retrospective cohort study.
PG  - 499-506
AB  - BACKGROUND: This retrospective cohort study investigates the feasibility of using 
      established methods and routinely generated data from the statutory primary 
      school health-screening programme to estimate prevalence rates for childhood 
      overweight and obesity in children from a rural area in the Republic of Ireland 
      (ROI). METHOD: Paper-based records in the primary school health service for 
      County Leitrim and parts of County Cavan in north-west of ROI were hand searched 
      to identify children attending senior infant classes during academic year 
      2001/2002. Electronic calculation of body mass index (BMI) and age at examination 
      was carried out. Application of age- and sex-specific cut-off points from 
      International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and United Kingdom (UK) standard 
      definitions for childhood overweight and obesity was used to determine age- and 
      sex-specific prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity. RESULTS: The 
      eligible cohort was almost completely identified and consisted of 361 children. 
      Weight and height measurements were available on 328 (91%) children aged between 
      4.22 and 7.92 years. IOTF standard application gave prevalence rates of 25% for 
      obesity and overweight in boys and 26% in girls. With the UK growth standard, 
      this increased to 34% in boys and reduced to 23% in girls. CONCLUSION: It is 
      feasible to generate prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity from 
      data routinely obtained through the statutory school health-screening programme 
      in ROI. This study suggests levels of childhood overweight and obesity comparable 
      to other Western societies. Further research on developing a universally accepted 
      standard definition of childhood overweight and obesity is required.
FAU - McMaster, C
AU  - McMaster C
AD  - Regional Child and Adolescent Health Development Officer, Regional Children's 
      Services, Health Service Executive North Western Area, Old Church, Drumany, 
      Letterkenny, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. Christina.McMaster@mailb.hse.ie
FAU - Cullen, L
AU  - Cullen L
FAU - Raymond, N
AU  - Raymond N
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Child Care Health Dev
JT  - Child: care, health and development
JID - 7602632
SB  - IM
MH  - Body Height/physiology
MH  - Body Mass Index
MH  - Body Weight/physiology
MH  - Child
MH  - Child, Preschool
MH  - Cohort Studies
MH  - Feasibility Studies
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Ireland/epidemiology
MH  - Male
MH  - Mass Screening/methods
MH  - Obesity/*epidemiology
MH  - Prevalence
MH  - Retrospective Studies
MH  - Rural Health
MH  - School Health Services
MH  - Sex Distribution
EDAT- 2005/08/17 09:00
MHDA- 2005/11/03 09:00
CRDT- 2005/08/17 09:00
PHST- 2005/08/17 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/11/03 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/08/17 09:00 [entrez]
AID - CCH543 [pii]
AID - 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2005.00543.x [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Child Care Health Dev. 2005 Sep;31(5):499-506. doi: 
      10.1111/j.1365-2214.2005.00543.x.