Primary 1 and Year 8 Obesity

Height and weight information is extracted from the Child Health System (CHS) and converted into a Body Mass Index (BMI) score for each pupil. The BMI is categorised using International Growth Charts which consider age and gender, allowing the identification of those who are obese. Records are analysed based on criteria: Date of exam within the primary 1 or year 8 school year (01/09/YY - 31/08/YY) and date of birth for primary 1 or year 8 pupils: 02/07/YY - 01/07/YY.

Further information, analysis and statistics on primary 1 and year 8 BMI is available within the regional and sub-regional Northern Ireland Health & Social Care Inequalities Monitoring Reports published on the Department of Health website at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/dhssps-statistics-and-research/health-inequalities-statistics