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Although racial disparities in childhood and adult obesity have been described repeatedly, factors related to disparities at the youngest ages are not well understood.
Researchers analyzed longitudinal data from approximately 10,700 children born in the U.S. in 2001 and followed for 6 years. Children's body-mass index (BMI) z scores at kindergarten entry (ages 5–6 years) were grouped by race/ethnicity (white, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian) and sex, then tested for associations with obesity risk factors in infancy, childhood, and among mothers, and with socioeconomic factors.
At kindergarten entry, rates of overweight and obesity differed significantly by race, ranging from 29% (whites) to 44% (Hispanics) for boys and 30% …