Growth and weight status of rural Texas school youth

Context: Evidence indicates higher prevalence of obesity in rural American youth. The present study evaluates the growth status and estimates the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural school children in Texas. Methods: Heights and weights were measured in a sample of 1,084 school youth (545 males, 539 females) 5–19 years of age, in rural north central Texas in 2010. body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Growth status was plotted relative to US reference data. Weight status (underweight/thin, overweight, and obesity) was classified relative to age‐ and sex‐specific Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. Concordance of classifications was evaluated. Results: Mean heights of the rural children approximated reference medians, while median weights exceeded reference medians and approximated 75th percentiles with increasing age. Median BMIs of boys and girls were below the 75th percentiles except among late adolescent girls. Prevalence of underweight/thinness was low (