Objective: The problem of high body mass index (BMI) for age in the Head Start population in Texas is of great concern. The primarily Mexican American population is at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study examines the prevalence of elevated BMI for age in the Head Start population in a sampling of South Texas border counties and a Central Texas county from 2003-2008, and compares it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for Hispanic preschool children.
Methods: 18,462 age/gender-adjusted BMI measurements obtained by Texas Head Start centers for 2-5 year old children were analyzed to determine the prevalence of BMI for age at the 97th, 95th, and 85th percentiles.
Results: In the overall Texas population, 40.79% of males and 36.73% of females were overweight (85th percentile and above) and 20.01% of the males and 19.04% of the females were obese (95th percentile and above). The prevalence of high BMI for age was stable between 2003-2008; however, the overweight cohort increased with the age of the children over that period of time.
Conclusion: The observed prevalence of elevated BMI in the Texas population is significantly higher than the results for the 2000 age-adjusted gender specific CDC growth charts for Mexican-American children ages 2-5 years old in the NHANES data for 2003-2006. The Texas-Mexico border counties had the highest prevalence of elevated BMI, demonstrating a critical need for dietary and exercise interventions in this medically underserved area.