Overweight Is Associated With Medium‐Term Obesity Development in School‐Age Children: A Mixed Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the dynamic changes in the nutritional status of school-age children in five cohorts with a two-year follow-up, encompassing a span of 7 years. METHODS: Utilizing a mixed longitudinal design, we implemented five cohorts with a two-year follow-up, encompassing a span of 7 years. The study's total sample comprised 101 school-age children (51 females and 50 males), aged between 6 and 11 years at the commencement of the follow-up. Anthropometric variables were obtained following standardized procedures. Subsequently, the Body Mass Index (BMI) was derived using the formula BMI = body mass (kg)/(height)<sup>2</sup>. Nutritional status was classified according to established cutoff points for age and sex. RESULTS: The prevalence rates for overweight, obesity, and underweight were found to be 22%, 10%, and 5%, respectively. Notably, the presence of overweight at the initiation of the follow-up exhibited a significant association with the development of obesity after a two-year period (χ<sup>2</sup> = 5.325, p = 0.021). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis indicated that participants classified as "overweight" at the outset of the study were 4.7 times more likely (95% CI = 1.156-19.754) to develop obesity compared to their eutrophic counterparts. CONCLUSION: The study establishes a clear link between overweight status and the medium-term development of obesity in school-age children, aged between 6 and 11 years. These findings underscore the need for early intervention strategies and targeted preventive measures to address this concerning health issue.