Table 2.
General characteristics of the study population, stratified by children’s weight status (n = 3,227)
| Total (n = 3,227) | Underweighta (n = 449) | Normal weighta (n = 2,278) | Overweighta (n = 405) | Obesitya (n = 50) | Severe obesitya (n = 45) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child characteristics | ||||||
| Age in years, mean ± SD | 5.7 ± 0.4 | 5.8 ± 0.4 | 5.7 ± 0.4 | 5.8 ± 0.4 | 5.8 ± 0.4 | 5.9 ± 0.4 |
| Gender** | ||||||
| % boys | 49.3 | 50.8 | 51.4 | 37.0 | 26.0 | 66.7 |
| Ethnicity (34 missings) | ||||||
| % Dutch | 98.3 | 97.3 | 98.4 | 99.0 | 95.9 | 97.7 |
| BMI**, mean ± SD | 15.7 ± 1.7 | 13.4 ± 0.5 | 15.45 ± 0.9 | 18.2 ± 0.6 | 20.2 ± 0.4 | 21.7 ± 1.1 |
| Number of chronic conditions, mean ± SD | 0.6 ± 0.9 | 0.6 ± 0.8 | 0.5 ± 0.9 | 0.6 ± 0.9 | 0.7 ± 1.2 | 0.6 ± 0.8 |
| Number of chronic conditions | ||||||
| % no chronic condition | 62.4 | 60.9 | 62.9 | 61.5 | 68.0 | 57.8 |
| Characteristics of the mother | ||||||
| Age in years, mean ± SD (n = 38 missings) | 36.5 ± 4.3 | 36.7 ± 4.0 | 36.5 ± 4.3 | 35.3 ± 3.9 | 36.0 ± 5.2 | 36.1 ± 6.0 |
| Gender (n = 32 missings) | ||||||
| % mother is respondent | 89.3 | 88.5 | 89.5 | 89.3 | 83.7 | 93.2 |
| Born in the Netherlands*** (n = 32 missings) | ||||||
| % yes | 90.9 | 91.0 | 92.0 | 87.4 | 79.6 | 77.3 |
| Educational level*** (n = 49 missings) | ||||||
| % low | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 4.8 | 8.2 | 14.3 |
| % mid-low | 17.7 | 14.9 | 16.8 | 23.1 | 26.5 | 35.7 |
| % mid-high | 46.1 | 46.8 | 46.1 | 47.0 | 44.9 | 31.0 |
| % high | 33.1 | 36.0 | 34.4 | 25.1 | 20.4 | 19.0 |
| Marital status*** (n = 46 missings) | ||||||
| % married or living together | 93.5 | 92.7 | 94.5 | 92.1 | 85.3 | 80.5 |
| Weight status*** (n = 93 missings) | ||||||
| % normal weight | 70.4 | 81.5 | 72.5 | 52.7 | 47.5 | 41.0 |
* p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001: p value from chi-square tests for categorical variables and ANOVA for continues variables comparing general characteristics across weight categories
aCategories based on international age- and gender-specific BMI cutoff values, for severe obesity cutoff values of BMI: 20.00 in boys and BMI: 21.00 in girls were used ± . According to the World Health Organization definition, BMI < 25: normal weight, BMI 25–30: overweight, BMI > 30: obesity [41]