Adolescents' weight status : ages 10 to 17 years - North Carolina, 2007-2009

Children's Health Care Coverage: No. 3* Adolescents' Weight Status: Ages 10 to 17 Years - North Carolina 2007-2009 November 2010 Health Insurance Ninety-three percent of parents surveyed in North Carolina reported that their adolescent (ages 10 to 17 years) is currently covered under some type of health insurance plan. Sixty percent of adolescents ages 10 to 17 years are covered by private insurance; 19 percent are covered under Medicaid (including Health Check and Carolina ACCESS); 6 percent are enrolled in NC Health Choice (a free or reduced price government funded health care program for children); and 7 percent have coverage through the military (e.g., CHAMPUS, TRICARE) or some other type of health insurance, unspecified. This report presents data on adolescent weight status by type of health insurance coverage. Percent of Adolescents with Health Care Coverage Ages 10 to 17 Years Other Insurance NC Health Choice 6% No Insurance 7% Medicaid 19% Private Insurance 60% Adolescents’ Weight Status Ages 10 to 17 Years Weight Status (Based on Parental Report) Body Mass Index (BM1; weight (kg)/ [height (m)]2) is estimated from parental report of adolescents’ current height and weight (ages 10 to 17 years).T Adolescents’ weight status is based on BMI percentiles calculated from the 2000 CDC growth charts by age and sex and defines overweight if between the 85U| and 94* percentiles, and obese as greater than or equal to the 95U| percentile. In general, 62 percent of adolescents are normal weight, 5 percent are underweight, 1 8 percent are overweight, and 1 5 percent are obese. This report includes data collected from 2007 to 2009 on 3,748 parental surveys on children ages 10 to 17 years from the North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program (NC CHAMP). NC CHAMP is a surveillance system that collects information about the health characteristics of children ages 0 to 17 years through a follow-up survey of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey of adults (18 years and older). All adult respondents with children living in their household are invited to participate in NC CHAMP. One child is randomly selected from the household and the adult most knowledgeable about the health of the selected child is interviewed. Percentages are weighted to population characteristics. For further information about NC CHAMP, please visit www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/champ or contact CHAMPstaff@ dhhs.nc.gov. ' For a detailed report, see: Miles DR, Sexton CM, Margolis LH, Sanderson M. Children’s health care coverage and children’s health 2007-2009: A report from the North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, October 201 0. Available at: www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/pdf/CHAMP_Health_Care_Report_2007-09.pdf. T Several procedures are used to increase accuracy of parental report of child’s height and weight including a height/weight follow-up. Please see full report for further details.