The Association of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Health Insurance Status With the Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents

Objectives. We examined the effect of race, socioeconomic status, and health insurance status on the prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents. Methods. We studied an observational cohort from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. Results. In the younger group, both Black and Latino children had a greater likelihood of being overweight compared with White children. Among the adolescent group, Latinos and Asian/Pacific Islanders were more likely to be overweight. Among adolescents, lacking health insurance and having public insurance were both positively associated with the prevalence of overweight. A relationship between insurance status and overweight was not observed for younger children. Conclusions. There are substantial racial differences in the prevalence of overweight for children and adolescents. Health insurance status is associated with the prevalence of overweight among adolescents.https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.93.12.210