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The prevalence of obesity in children and young people with Down syndrome
Author(s) -
O' Shea Muireann,
O' Shea Carol,
Gibson Louise,
Leo Jennifer,
Carty Catherine
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12465
Subject(s) - overweight , obesity , body mass index , medicine , population , demography , pediatrics , physical therapy , environmental health , sociology
Background Overweight and obesity is a growing concern among individuals with intellectual disabilities; however, little is known about the prevalence among children and youth with Down syndrome ( CYDS ). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity among CYDS in South West Ireland. Methods This cross‐sectional study measured height and weight of 61 CYDS aged 4–16 years. Body mass index ( BMI ) was calculated and percentage body fat ( PBF ) was measured using bio‐electrical impendence analysis ( BIA ). Results Using the International Obesity Task Force BMI cut‐offs, 51.6% of males and 40% of females were overweight/obese compared to 32% and 14.8%, respectively, using PBF . The mean PBF for males was 18.76 versus females 22.38 ( p < .05). There is a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, particularly in males, compared to the general population of children. Conclusions The difference in estimation of overweight/obesity between BMI and BIA has implications for research and clinical practice.