Table 1

Descriptive statistics for children aged 2–3 in the NLSCY*

N = 2152
Percent (%)

Baseline (1994)

Individual Characteristics

Female
49.56
Male
50.44
Age = 2
48.52
Age = 3
51.48
Income Adequacy in 1994

Low/low middle
20.28
Middle/high middle
64.43
High
15.29
Parent Education in 1994

No high school certificate
14.98
High School/Some Postsecondary
46.41
Postsecondary degree
38.61
Family Structure in 1994

Child living in an intact family
81.28
Child not living in an intact family
18.72
Neighbourhood Low Income

Least Poor (less than 7.6%)
22.56
Middle (7.7 to 28.6%)
57.07
Most Poor (greater than 28.7%)
21.37
Census Metropolitan Area

Urban
67.59
Rural
32.41
Across Cycles (1994–2002)

BMI Percentile (based on CDC values)
Average (sd)
Ages 2–3 (1994)
65.77 (1.45)
Ages 4–5 (1996)
63.26 (1.29)
Ages 6–7 (1998)
59.85 (1.40)
Ages 8–9 (2000)
59.43 (1.54)
Ages 10–11 (2002)
59.57 (1.31)
Overweight (BMI ≥ 85th Percentile based on CDC values)
Percent (%)
Ages 2–3 (1994)
48.71
Ages 4–5 (1996)
41.68
Ages 6–7 (1998)
38.67
Ages 8–9 (2000)
34.03
Ages 10–11 (2002)
31.53

* NLSCY = National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (Canadian). Data used are for a cohort of children aged 2–3 at baseline (1994) and assessed bi-annually until 2002

Oliver and Hayes BMC Public Health 2008 8:16   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-16