Chartbook: Obesity in Urban and Rural Children

Research center:
Lead researcher:
Project funded:
September 2006
Project completed:
April 2007
The as yet unabated epidemic of childhood obesity throughout the United States has led policymakers to rank it as a critical public health threat for the 21st century (Institute of Medicine Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth, 2005; Koplan & Dietz, 1999; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Using data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health, the objectives of this comprehensive study were to:
  • Describe the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity at the national and state levels.
  • Present the variations in childhood overweight and obesity by urban/rural residence, socioeconomic indicators (measured by family poverty status and parental education), and race/ethnicity characteristics.
  • Document the presence of modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity by urban/rural residence, socioeconomic indicators, and race/ethnicity at both the national and state levels.

Publications