Obesity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among Pediatric Patients at a Mississippi Academic Medical Center

PurposeAssess obesity and cardiometabolic disease risk factors among a high-risk pediatric population.DesignObservational, cross-sectional study using electronic medical records (EMR).SettingThe only academic medical center in Mississippi.SampleData were extracted for children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years treated in primary care from 2013-2023.MeasuresMeasures of height, weight, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and hemoglobin A1c were categorized to determine the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia.AnalysesMultivariable regression models were used to establish the association between age- and sex-adjusted body mass index z-score (zBMI) and demographic characteristics. Outcomes were explored by race/ethnicity, sex, age, insurance type, visit year, and rurality.ResultsThe study sample included 38 275 participants (M age = 8.9 years, SD = 5.3; 48.7% female; 45.4% non-Hispanic Black [NHB]). Half of NHB females aged 12 through 19 were either overweight (19.0 %), obese (15.9%), or severely obese (14.9%). Age was positively associated with BMI z-score (P < 0.001). Nearly 40% of all participants with a blood pressure (BP) reading had a measure consistent with elevated BP (17.1%) or hypertension (22.1%). NHB males with severe obesity had the highest prevalence of stage II hypertension (12.3%).ConclusionsThe distribution of mean zBMI values greater than zero indicated that this pediatric population contained a larger proportion of individuals with obesity than the age- and sex-matched reference population. Intervention in NHB females aged 2 through 9 with severe obesity may present the best opportunity for the prevention of severe obesity and hypertension.