Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Weight, Height and BMI Percentiles in Urban School Girls: A Case Study Using US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Growth Charts

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affects people worldwide, especially school children. The COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly increased the risk of non-communicable diseases due to unhealthy lifestyle choices. Researchers, school authorities, politicians and news outlets have focused on school-based BMI assessment to address childhood obesity. We selected random primary school girls aged 6–10 for this study. The current investigation included demographic, socioeconomic and food habit questionnaires and for the physical test, anthropometric tools were used. We follow CDC 2000 guidelines. Three months after the COVID-19 lockdown began, this study examined the prevalence of height for weight, height for age, weight for age and associated knowledge among government schoolgirls in the Carew & Co (Bangladesh) Ltd. commercial area. Height, weight and BMI measures for surveillance, identifying the percentage of girls at risk for obesity, malnutrition and being too tall for their age and giving parents actionable advice. 8% of the 50 schoolgirls were underweight, 54% were normal, 8% were overweight, and 30% were obese. Height and weight significantly increased in 6-year-old girls compared to 10-year-olds (p<0.0001). Effective health-promoting treatments that emphasize a healthy lifestyle are necessary for underweight teenagers and over tall and obese girls. Schools that use BMI measurement programs should evaluate the program's effects on BMI results and teenager and family weight-related knowledge, nutritional knowledge, pubertal maturation, attitudes and behaviors. They should also take precautions to protect students, provide a safe and supportive environment for all students and use science-based strategies to promote physical activity and healthy eating.