Global Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence is a global health issue associated with adverse outcomes throughout the life course.

To estimate worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from 2000 to 2023 and to assess potential risk factors for and comorbidities of obesity. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane. Study Selection: The inclusion criteria were: (1) studies provided adequate information, (2) diagnosis based on body mass index cutoffs proposed by accepted references, (3) studies performed on general population between January 2000 and March 2023, (4) participants were younger than 18 years. Data Extraction and Synthesis: The current study was performed in accordance with the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model with Free-Tukey double arcsine transformation was used for data analysis. Sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and subgroup analysis of obesity among children and adolescents were conducted. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents assessed by World Health Organization, International Obesity Task Force, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or other national references.