Turner County S Childhood Obesity Rates

Childhood Obesity in Turner County, GA Ages 6-11

Turner County is one of the regions in Georgia that is affected by childhood obesity and overweight. Generally, childhood obesity is one of the major public health concerns and issues affecting Georgia. Currently, the state is among the top three states with high prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight issues. Despite the numerous measures that have been undertaken to deal with the problem and significant gains that have been made in the process, Georgia still has a high rate of childhood obesity cases. In essence, Turner County is still largely affected by the issue of childhood obesity similar to other counties in Georgia. However, a clear understanding of the extent of childhood obesity in Turner County among children aged 6-11 years requires collecting vital statistics on this population. For this analysis, the researcher has relied on a questionnaire and interview of healthcare providers involved in offering care to these children. Therefore, the source of information for this aggregate relating to childhood obesity in Turner County for children aged 6-11 years is health providers who offer care to such children or deal with other health issues affecting children.

Demographic and Statistical Information

Obesity is determined based on body mass index (BMI), which is calculated through dividing weight (which is kilograms) by height (which is in meters squared). An individual is considered obese if his/her body mass index is equivalent or more than 30. In the past few years, childhood obesity has emerged as a major health concern in Turner County and the wider Georgia State. This is primarily because of increased obesity-related hospitalizations in the county as well as other parts of Georgia. Actually, Georgia has experienced an increase in childhood obesity hospitalizations within the past decade.

The current obesity rates among children aged 6-11 years in Turner County is 15%, which represents approximately 3% increase as compared to 2011 as shown in Figure 1. While the county has experienced a slight increase in childhood obesity rates, these rates have generally declined as compared to 10-year ago. However, the decline has largely occurred among children from low-income families with those from high-income and middle class families remaining high or relatively stable over the years. Based on these factors, socio-economic status has a significant impact on the likelihood of children in Turner County to develop obesity or become overweight. In essence, children aged 6-11 years from relatively stable or high socio-economic families in Turner County are at increased risks of becoming overweight and obese.

Figure 1: Childhood Obesity Rates in Turner County

5%

10%

15%

20%

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Year

Rate

Similar to other regions in Georgia, non-Hispanic black children and Hispanic children in Turner County are more likely to have high body mass index as compared to non-Hispanic white children as well as other non-Hispanics (Davila-Payan et al., 2015). In addition, the probability of high body mass index, which contributes to obesity or overweight, increases with age. Therefore, children aged 6 years in Turner County are less likely to have high BMI as compared to their counterparts aged 11 years. This probability decreases as the academic level of household representatives of the children increases. The size of the household also has a role in determining the likelihood of children aged 6-11 years in Turner County to become obese.

According to the healthcare providers interviewed in this survey, infant mortality rates in Turner County are high if a mother is overweight or obese. These professionals state that there is a strong link between infant mortality and maternal overweight or obesity. Their statements concur with the research carried out by Johansson (2014) to examine the link between these two factors. The population-based cohort study found that increased risks of infant mortality are brought by maternal obesity and overweight (Johansson, 2014). They also stated that the life expectancies of obese or overweight children aged 6-11 years in the county decreases significantly. This is primarily because being overweight or obese implies that these children live less healthy lives as compared to their parents. Childhood obesity shortens the children's life expectancies because it enhances the risks of other diseases such as heart diseases, which increases the likelihood of death. Healthcare providers in Turner County consider childhood obesity one of the leading causes of deaths among children aged 6-11 years because of the risky nature of this condition and its likelihood to generate other risky health conditions.

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