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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents with obesity — NWS‑04 Data Methodology and Measurement

This objective is a Leading Health Indicator (LHI). Learn about LHIs.

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 17.8 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years had obesity in 2013-16

Target: 15.5 percent

Numerator
Number of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the sex-and age-specific 95th percentile from the CDC Growth Charts; United States.
Denominator
Number of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years.
Target-setting method
Minimal statistical significance
Target-setting method details
Minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective but it was not possible to project a target because the trend was moving away from the desired direction. The standard error was used to calculate a target based on minimal statistical significance assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline.

Methodology

Methodology notes

The NHANES obtains measured weights in an examination gown and heights without shoes. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. Children and adolescents with a BMI at or above the sex-and age-specific 95th percentile based on the 2000 CDC growth charts are considered obese.

Obesity is generally defined as excess body fat. However, since excess body fat is difficult to measure directly, obesity is often defined as excess body weight adjusted for height as measured by BMI or age and sex specific BMI percentiles for children and adolescents. BMI will be used as a proxy for obesity in children and adolescents. Among children, the marked BMI changes that occur with growth and development make it necessary to specify a high BMI relative to children of the same sex and age.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.