Table 2.
Prevalence of weight classesa in the study sampleb at three ages
| Age (years) | Gender | Thinness | Normal weight | Overweight | Obesity | Gender differencec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % (n) | % (n) | % (n) | % (n) | p-value | ||
| 2–4 | Boys | 14.7 (41) | 76.7 (214) | 7.2 (20) | 1.4 (4) | 0.09 |
| Girls | 14.6 (37) | 70.8 (179) | 13.0 (33) | 1.6 (4) | ||
| 5–7 | Boys | 7.5 (21) | 82.8 (231) | 6.5 (18) | 3.2 (9) | <0.01 |
| Girls | 10.7 (27) | 71.1 (180) | 12.6 (32) | 5.5 (14) | ||
| 15–17 | Boys | 9.7 (27) | 69.9 (195) | 13.3 (37) | 7.2 (20) | 0.25 |
| Girls | 5.9 (15) | 74.3 (188) | 14.6 (37) | 5.1 (13) |
aWeight classes is based on BMI according to the International Obesity Taskforce’s age- and sex-specific cut-off values in children 2–18 years: thinness: adult BMI <18.5 kg/m2, normal weight: adult BMI ≥18.5- < 25 kg/m2, overweight: adult BMI ≥25- < 30 kg/m2, obesity: adult BMI ≥30 kg/m2 [28]
bA sub study of The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures N = 532: 279 boys, 253 girls
cPearson’s Chi-Square tests for gender differences in weight classes were performed in a 2x3 contingency table with weight class overweight/obesity merged due to few obese participants
BMI body mass index