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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pediatrics. 2024 Jan 1;153(1):e2023062461. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-062461

TABLE 2.

Trends in the Prevalence of Severe Obesitya Among Children Aged 2 to 4 Years Enrolled in WIC Program in Selected Years, 2010 to 2020

Characteristics Crude Prevalence, % (95% CI) APD,b % (95% CI)
2010 2016 2020c 2016 vs 2010 2020 vs 2016
Overall 2.12 (2.10 to 2.13) 1.84 (1.83 to 1.86) 2.03 (2.01 to 2.05) −0.19 (−0.21 to −0.16)d 0.23 (0.21 to 0.26)d
Sex
 Male 2.06 (2.03 to 2.08) 1.75 (1.73 to 1.77) 1.95 (1.92 to 1.98) −0.21 (−0.24 to −0.18)d 0.25 (0.21 to 0.28)d
 Female 2.18 (2.16 to 2.20) 1.94 (1.92 to 1.96) 2.11 (2.08 to 2.15) −0.16 (−0.19 to −0.13)d 0.22 (0.18 to 0.26)d
Age, y
 2 1.30 (1.28 to 1.32) 1.16 (1.14 to 1.18) 1.25 (1.23 to 1.28) −0.10 (−0.13 to −0.07)d 0.11 (0.08 to 0.15)d
 3 2.23 (2.20 to 2.26) 1.97 (1.95 to 2.00) 2.24 (2.20 to 2.27) −0.22 (−0.26 to −0.18)d 0.28 (0.24 to 0.33)d
 4 3.31 (3.27 to 3.35) 2.87 (2.83 to 2.91) 3.14 (3.09 to 3.20) −0.32 (−0.38 to −0.27)d 0.35 (0.28 to 0.42)d
Race/ethnicitye
 American Indian/Alaska Native 2.66 (2.50 to 2.82) 2.41 (2.26 to 2.57) 2.36 (2.17 to 2.58) −0.18 (−0.40 to 0.05) −0.01 (−0.27 to 0.25)
 Asian/Pacific Islander 1.51 (1.44 to 1.58) 1.14 (1.08 to 1.20) 1.43 (1.35 to 1.51) −0.32 (−0.41 to −0.23)d 0.28 (0.19 to 0.38)d
 Black, non-Hispanic 1.51 (1.48 to 1.54) 1.38 (1.35 to 1.41) 1.48 (1.44 to 1.52) −0.09 (−0.13 to −0.05)d 0.13 (0.08 to 0.18)d
 Hispanic 2.81 (2.78 to 2.83) 2.41 (2.38 to 2.44) 2.79 (2.76 to 2.83) −0.31 (−0.34 to −0.27)d 0.41 (0.36 to 0.46)d
 White, non-Hispanic 1.45 (1.42 to 1.47) 1.36 (1.34 to 1.39) 1.38 (1.35 to 1.42) −0.05 (−0.08 to −0.01)d 0.03 (−0.01 to 0.07)
Household income, % FPL
 <50 2.18 (2.16 to 2.21) 1.90 (1.88 to 1.93) 2.11 (2.07 to 2.15) −0.16 (−0.20 to −0.12)d 0.24 (0.19 to 0.29)d
 50 to <100 2.27 (2.25 to 2.30) 1.97 (1.94 to 1.99) 2.19 (2.15 to 2.23) −0.20 (−0.23 to −0.16)d 0.29 (0.24 to 0.34)d
 100 to <150 2.02 (1.98 to 2.05) 1.66 (1.63 to 1.70) 1.88 (1.83 to 1.93) −0.27 (−0.32 to −0.22)d 0.23 (0.18 to 0.29)d
 ≥150 1.66 (1.61 to 1.70) 1.45 (1.40 to 1.50) 1.72 (1.66 to 1.79) −0.16 (−0.23 to −0.09)d 0.24 (0.16 to 0.32)d
a

Defined as a BMI of 120% or more of the 95th percentile for age and sex on the CDC growth charts or BMI ≥35 kg/m.

b

Represents 100 times the average marginal effect of year (2016 vs 2010, 2020 vs 2016) controlling for sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Children with missing information on race/ethnicity were excluded. A negative value indicates that the prevalence decreased.

c

Children with anthropometric data examined in March and April 2020 were excluded because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

d

Statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level based on logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

e

Children with multiple race/ethnicity designations were assigned to the appropriate race/ethnicity category presented in the table.