PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ahmad, Aryati
AU  - Little, Melissa
AU  - Piernas, Carmen
AU  - Jebb, Susan
TI  - Trends in weight loss attempts among children in England
AID  - 10.1136/archdischild-2021-323493
DP  - 2022 Oct 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 896--901
VI  - 107
IP  - 10
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/107/10/896.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/107/10/896.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2022 Oct 01; 107
AB  - Objectives To describe trends in reported weight loss attempts among school-aged children and to investigate its sociodemographic determinants.Design We analysed data of children who participated in the Health Survey for England from 1997 to 2016 (n=34 235). This repeated cross-sectional survey reported weight loss attempts and sociodemographic characteristics. Body weight and height were measured by trained interviewers, and body mass index for age z-score was calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the sociodemographic determinants.Setting England.Participants Children (8–17 years).Main outcome measures Weight loss attempts by year, age group, gender, BMI for age z-score, ethnicity and household income.Results The prevalence of reported weight loss attempts increased significantly from 21.4% (1997–1998) to 26.5% (2015–2016). The increase was significant for boys, older children, Asian children, children from lower income households and in all categories of BMI for age z-score. Significant predictors of weight loss attempts included having overweight (8–12 years old, OR 4.01 (%CI 3.47 to 4.64); 13–17 years old, OR 1.96 (%CI 1.58 to 2.42)) or obesity (8–12 years old, OR 13.57 (%CI 11.94 to 15.43); 13–17 years old, OR 4.72 (%CI 3.94 to 5.66)) as well as being older, girls, from ethnic minority groups or low household income.Conclusion The prevalence of reported weight loss attempts among children is increasing at a faster rate than the rise in excess weight and includes an increasing proportion of children with a ‘healthy’ weight. The increase in the prevalence of reported weight loss attempts among children is greatest among subgroups with lower baseline prevalence.Data are available in a public, open access repository.