Childhood overweight is associated with socio-economic vulnerability

More children have overweight in regions with high rates of single parenthood, low education levels, low income and high child poverty. The pandemic may also have reinforced this trend. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University and Region Sörmland in collaboration with Region Skåne.

“During and after the pandemic, we see a greater difference between regions in terms of children's weight. It even looks like it has exacerbated health inequalities,” explains Charlotte Nylander, a researcher at Uppsala University and the Centre for Clinical Research in Region Sörmland, where she is also a Senior Consultant in Child Health Care.

Approximately 85 percent of all Swedish four-year-olds in 2018, 2020 and 2022 were included in the study, which in total comprises over 300,000 individuals. The researchers compiled the regions’ data on overweight in childhood and then linked it to variables available from Statistics Sweden. The regions of Halland and Örebro are not included in the study due to a lack of aggregated data for 2022.

The results show that the prevalence of overweight or obesity has now fallen to the same levels as before the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e. 11.4%. During the pandemic, the prevalence was 13.3 per cent. However, in several regions, including Västernorrland, Gävleborg and Värmland, the figures are significantly higher than the national average (see attached figure).

“We were worried when we saw the peak during the pandemic and wondered what will happen next. But it is good news that it is back to pre-pandemic levels – we are happy about that. However, overweight in childhood is clearly still a concern that we need to work on,” adds Nylander.

She and her research colleagues are concerned that there was such a significant link to socio-economic disadvantage at the regional level. There were more overweight children in regions with many single parents, low education levels, low income and high child poverty.

“Child healthcare is an important public health arena. It is a matter of highlighting socio-economically disadvantaged children in healthcare and providing early advice on lifestyle habits that can help. But we also need to shift responsibility from the individual to society, where major efforts are needed to improve the situation,” notes researcher Mariette Derwig, a Senior Consultant in Child Health Care in Region Skåne.