The Scottish Government

Title

Children of healthy weight

National Indicator/Target

Reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with their Body Mass Index outwith a healthy range by 2018.

Brief Description

The proportion of children aged 2-15 years whose Body Mass Index lies within a healthy range (between the 5 ^th and 85 ^th percentile of the UK growth reference charts)

Strategic Objective(s) to Which Indicator Relates

This indicator informs progress in relation to the Healthier Strategic Objective.

More Detailed Definitions

Definitions of Keywords

BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared

Definitions of healthy weight for children are currently based on the 1990 UK growth reference charts

Evidence Source

Data source: Scottish Health Survey

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/scottish-health-survey

This is an important high level indicator that encompasses various aspects of lifestyle and wellbeing.

Baseline and Past Trends

NB : These figures are provisional at present

Baseline, most recent, value (2003): 67.9% (66.3% boys; 69.6% girls)

Previous value (1998): 70.4% (71.1% boys; 69.7% girls)

Recent direction of travel (1998-2003): Slight decrease (more so for boys than girls)

Methodology

Sample survey data

Healthy weight of children is defined using the UK standard growth reference curves (Cole TJ et al, 1995).

The method used corrects for the skewed distribution of BMI values and then assigns each child's BMI to a centile using an age-sex specific lookup of values from the standard reference curves.

Children having a BMI that lies between the 5 ^th and 85 ^th percentile of the reference data are of healthy weight.

The denominator population for the Scottish Health Survey 2003 was around 3,000 children aged 2-15 years; from 2008 onwards the annual denominator will be approximately 2,000 children aged 2-15 years

Data Ownership and Quality Assurance

Not yet National Statistics, but likely to become once when future Scottish Health Survey results are published.

Publication of Data

Annual reports to be published by the Scottish Government from 2008 (first results available mid 2009)