Obesity Prevalence in Low-Income Preschool Children in Oklahoma

Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in low-income preschool children in Oklahoma and to identify potential race/ethnic disparities.

Methods: Subjects included 39,151 children aged 2 to 4 years who participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in 2009. Body mass index percentiles were calculated from the child’s height, weight, sex, and age.

Results: In 2009, 30.7% of Oklahoma’s children in WIC were overweight, including 13.7% obese. Disparities by race/ethnicity were greatest for obese children: prevalence was 18.8% for American Indians (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, confidence interval [CI] = 1.54-2.03) and 17.2% for Hispanics (OR = 1.6, CI = 1.52-1.73) compared with 11.8% for non-Hispanic whites, whereas African Americans were less obese (OR = 0.9, CI = 0.79-0.98).

Conclusion: Obesity rates in low-income Oklahoma children are highest among American Indians and Hispanic children. Interventions aimed at these high-risk groups need to be explored.