Forum on Child and Family StatisticsHEALTH5 Obesity: Percentage of children ages 6–17 with obesity by age, race and Hispanic origin, and sex, selected years 1976–1980 through August 2021–August 2023
HEALTH5 Excel Table
HEALTH5 Standard Error Excel Table
| Characteristic | 1976–1980 | 1988–1994 | 1999–2002 | 2003–2006 | 2007–2010 | 2011–2014 | 2017–March 2020a | Aug 2021–Aug 2023b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 6–17 | ||||||||
| Total | 5.7 | 11.2 | 16.0 | 17.3 | 18.6 | 19.5 | 21.3 | 22.6 |
| Race and Hispanic originc | ||||||||
| White, non-Hispanic | 4.9 | 10.5 | 13.2 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 17.1 | 17.8 | * |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 8.2 | 14.0 | 20.7 | 21.5 | 24.0 | 22.5 | 27.4 | * |
| Asian, non-Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | 9.8 | 11.1 | * |
| Hispanic | — | — | — | — | 23.7 | 24.3 | 27.6 | * |
| Mexican American | — | 15.4 | 23.0 | 22.7 | 23.8 | 25.2 | 30.2 | * |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Male | 5.5 | 11.8 | 17.2 | 18.1 | 20.4 | 18.9 | 22.9 | 25.3 |
| Female | 5.8 | 10.6 | 14.7 | 16.3 | 16.7 | 20.0 | 19.8 | 19.7 |
| Ages 6–11 | ||||||||
| Total | 6.5 | 11.3 | 15.8 | 17.0 | 18.8 | 17.5 | 20.9 | 22.1 |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Male | 6.7 | 11.6 | 16.9 | 18.0 | 20.7 | 17.6 | 23.0 | 23.7 |
| Female | 6.4 | 11.0 | 14.7 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 17.5 | 18.7 | 20.4 |
| Ages 12–17 | ||||||||
| Total | 4.9 | 11.1 | 16.1 | 17.5 | 18.4 | 21.3 | 21.8 | 23.0 |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Male | 4.5 | 12.0 | 17.5 | 18.2 | 20.1 | 20.1 | 22.7 | 26.8 |
| Female | 5.4 | 10.2 | 14.7 | 16.8 | 16.6 | 22.5 | 20.8 | 19.0 |
| — Not available. | ||||||||
| * Estimates by race and Hispanic origin for August 2021–August 2023 are not shown. During this National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycle, there was no oversampling by race and Hispanic origin as part of survey design changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the sample size for some demographic subgroups is noticeably lower than in previous cycles and statistical precision for estimates for these groups are reduced. | ||||||||
| a The NHANES program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data collection for the 2019–2020 cycle was not completed. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the 2017–2018 cycle to create a 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic file. This file covers 3.2 years of data collection. For more information, see: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/overviewbrief.aspx?Cycle=2017-2020. | ||||||||
| b The NHANES program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NHANES data collection resumed in August 2021 with a new two-year sample design to reduce contact between interviewers and survey participants during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Although the sample design was similar to previous NHANES cycles, the August 2021–August 2023 cycle differed in two ways: (1) there was no oversampling by race and Hispanic origin, income or age; and (2) a self-administered screener and telephone interviews were used to reduce in-person contact. For more information on the August 2021–August 2023 sample design and methodological changes, see: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/OverviewBrief.aspx?Cycle=2021-2023. | ||||||||
| c For 1976–1980 to 1988–1994 data, the 1977 U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards for data on race and ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four racial groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. Starting in 1999–2000, the revised 1997 OMB standards were used. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Included in the total but not shown separately are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and “Two or more races." Starting in 1999–2000, those in each racial category represent those reporting only one race. Data from 1999–2000 onward are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately but combined for reporting. Persons of Mexican origin may be of any race. From 1976–1980 to 2005–2006, the NHANES sample was designed to provide estimates specifically for persons of Mexican or Hispanic origin. Starting in 2007–2008, the NHANES allows for reporting of both total Hispanic and Mexican American persons. Starting in 2011–2012, the NHANES sample was designed to provide estimates for Asian American persons. | ||||||||
| NOTE: Obesity for children and adolescents is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the sex- and age-specific 95th percentile from the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Growth Charts (https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is calculated as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. | ||||||||
| SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. | ||||||||
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
