Publication date: Jul 11, 2025
To study the development of overweight, obesity and underweight among 4-year-olds from 2007 to 2022, covering the COVID-19 pandemic period. This repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted in VcE4sterbotten County, northern Sweden. It used data on weight, height, age and sex, which were collected when children attended their 4-year check-ups at any of the 38 Child Health Centres. The data comprised 42 614 4-year-old children (52% boys). From 2007 to 2022, the prevalence of overweight decreased from 13. 4% to 9. 5% in the boys and from 14. 9% to 12. 0% in the girls. The prevalence of obesity decreased from 3. 7% to 1. 8% in the boys and from 2. 4% to 2. 0% in the girls. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, overweight and obesity temporarily increased for both the boys and girls, but the levels had returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2022. The prevalence of underweight increased among both boys and girls. Our study documents a decline in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Swedish 4-year-olds over more than a decade, except for a surge during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we observed an unexpected increase in the prevalence of underweight during the same period.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Decade | childhood |
| Girls | COVID‐19 |
| Obesity | obesity |
| Swedish | overweight |
| underweight |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | Childhood Overweight |
| disease | MESH | Obesity |
| disease | MESH | overweight |
| disease | MESH | underweight |
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |