Data on prevalence of overweight among Finnish children available inan increasing number of municipalities through the Avohilmo Register

Background We compared the coverage and quality of height and weight data of children in the Finnish Primary Health Care Visits (Avohilmo) Register in 2016–2017 with the data available in 2014–2015. We also investigated the prevalence of overweight, obesity and severe obesity among 2–16-year-old children and possible changes in the prevalence between the years 2014–2015 and 2016–2017.

Methods All height and weight measurements of children performed in child welfare clinics and school health services between 1st June 2016 and 31st May 2017 and transferred to the Avohilmo register were included.

Data from those municipalities where the coverage of child growth data was 65% or more were included in the analyses of prevalence of overweight and obesity (N = 167 521 children). Overweight, obesity and severe obesity were defined according to the Finnish (ISO-BMI) and the international (IOTF) BMI criteria.

Results The coverage of growth data of children in the Avohilmo register has improved. In 2016–2017, the coverage was at least 65% in more than one third of municipalities (N = 123), vs. one fifth (N = 64) in 2014–2015. In 2016–2017, the prevalence of overweight (ISO-BMI) was 26% in boys and 16% in girls. According to the IOTF criteria, the prevalence of overweight was 18%, and that of obesity 5%, with similar figures for boys and girls.

Conclusions Statistics on the prevalence of childhood overweight are available in an increasing number of municipalities through the Avohilmo register. There are big differences in the transfer of information to the Avohilmo register depending on the electronic patient record system used in the municipality.