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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Li Yan Wang, MA, MBA and David Chyen, MA. Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, MS K-33, Chamblee, GA 30341, 770-488-6195, lgw0@cdc.gov

Background: Overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk of overweight or obesity in adulthood. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) to examine the association between measures of body mass index (BMI) in adolescence and being overweight or obese in adulthood. Methods: Height and weight measurements from 1981 and 2002 were used to calculate BMI for a cohort of 1309 adolescents. Logistic regression was used to identify baseline BMI cutoff points for being obese at age 37/38 (probability of adult obesity = 0.5) and to examine the association between groups defined by the cutoff points and being overweight (BMI>=25) and obesity (BMI>=30) in adulthood. Results: The BMI cutoff point was close to 85th percentile, 86th percentile in males and 83rd percentile in females. Of males with a BMI>=85th percentile, 96% were overweight and 70% were obese as adults, 8.0 (95% CI, 2.6-40.1) times more likely to be overweight and 9.0 (5.2-16.9) times more likely to be obese as adults than those with a BMI<85th percentile. Of females with a BMI>=85th percentile, 98% were overweight and 80% were obese as adults, 45.1 (7.6-1822.9) times more likely to be overweight and 13.5 (6.9-28.2) times more likely to be obese as adults than those with a BMI<85th percentile. Conclusion: Adolescents with a BMI>=85th percentile are at elevated risk for obesity in adulthood. To prevent the progression of obesity and its associated health risks, population-based efforts combined with targeted interventions for those high risk adolescents are needed.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the association between adolescent BMI and adult obesity.
• Assess individual adolescent's risk of becoming obese adult.
• Identify adolescent groups with high risk of becoming obese adults.

Keywords: Obesity, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered