Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Body Mass Index of Primary School Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds

Ludwig Piesch; Robert Stojan; Jochen Zinner; Dirk Büsch; Katharina Utesch; Till Utesch

doi:10.1186/s40798-024-00687-8

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Body Mass Index of Primary School Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds

Sports Med Open. 2024 Mar 1;10(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s40798-024-00687-8.

Authors

Ludwig Piesch^{1

2}, Robert Stojan¹, Jochen Zinner³, Dirk Büsch⁴, Katharina Utesch⁵, Till Utesch⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Münster, Bispinghof 5/6, 48143, Münster, Germany.
² Institute of Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
³ Deutsche Hochschule für Gesundheit und Sport, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
⁵ Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Münster, Bispinghof 5/6, 48143, Münster, Germany. Till.utesch@uni-muenster.de.

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity is associated with various health outcomes. Restrictive measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, like lockdowns and school closures, affected children's daily structure, physical activity, dietary habits, and sleep quality, possibly exacerbating risk factors for childhood obesity and higher body mass index (BMI) in children. Poor socioeconomic conditions may have led to relatively higher risk for elevated BMI levels following pandemic measures. In this study, the impact of measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the BMI of third graders was investigated regarding children's socioeconomic background (SEB).

Methods: Data from 41,728 children (8.84 ± 0.56 years, 20,431 female) were collected in the context of a cohort study. Children were tested either before the pandemic (pre_COVID: Sept2017-March2020, n = 26,314), or following the first (post_LDI: Aug2020-Dec2020, n = 6657) or second lockdown in Germany (post_LDII: Aug2021-Jan2022, n = 8757). SEB was based on the official school type classification of the state of Berlin. Outcome was BMI standard deviation scores (SDS).

Results: Significant effects of Time and SEB revealed elevated BMIs in post_LDI (M = 0.23, p = 0.011) and post_LDII (M = 0.22, p = 0.011) compared to pre_COVID (M = 0.17) cohorts and higher BMIs for children with lower SEB (b = - 0.13, p < 0.001). A significant Time × SEB interaction indicated that the effect of SEB on children's BMI increased in response to lockdowns, especially in post_LDII (b = - 0.05, p = 0.006). Results suggest that the COVID-19-related measures lead to increased BMI in children, and that children of lower SEB were at particular risk for higher BMIs following lockdowns.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the dependency of children's BMI on societal circumstances. Over the course of two lockdowns in Germany, children have experienced BMI increments, particularly in low socioeconomic areas. Authorities are called into action to counteract increasing rates of childhood weight by promoting physical activity of children and establishing related post-pandemic offers.

Keywords: BMI standard deviation score; BMI z-score; Childhood obesity; Childhood overweight; Physical literacy.

Grants and funding

UT 158/1-1/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft