Healthy weight in children (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)

Childhood overweight and obesity affects some groups of our population more than others.

Deprivation

• There is a strong link between the prevalence of reception age overweight (including obesity) and deprivation. Those in the most deprived decile have a prevalence of 25.5 compared to those in the least deprived with a prevalence of 17.1.
• Fingertips: Obesity profile: National Child Measurement Programme
• The same inequalities exist between the prevalence of year 6 age overweight (including obesity) and deprivation.
• Fingertips: Obesity profile: National Child Measurement Programme

Sex

• In South Tyneside there is a variation in the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) reception age children when broken down by sex with males, with a prevalence of 22.6, more likely to be overweight than females who have a prevalence of 21.2.
• Fingertips: Obesity profile: National Child Measurement Programme
• This gender difference is still present when looking at year 6 age children with males having a prevalence of 34.9 and females 31.5.
• Fingertips: Obesity profile: National Child Measurement Programme

Ethnicity

• There is a substantial difference in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity amongst different ethnic groups in South Tyneside.  Black African children are the most likely to be classed as overweight with a prevalence of 44.8 compared to the least prevalent ethnicity, white and Asian, which has a prevalence of 29.4
• Fingertips: Obesity profile: National Child Measurement Programme