The Importance of National Monitoring of Children's Growth: Consensus Statement From the Nordic PromoKids Network.

Päivi Mäki, Antti Saari, Ingunn Holden Bergh, Liselotte Schäfer Elinder, Annika Janson, Lauren Lissner, Ragnar Bjarnason, Anna S Olafsdottir, Liv Elin Torheim, Tatjana Hejgaard, Emil Steen Steensen, Marit Dromnes Manvik, Pétur Benedikt Juliusson, Tryggvi Helgason, Heli Kuusipalo

Journal: Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) 2025;114(9):2182-2188

PMID: 40387306

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Abstract

AIM

To describe the current approaches to surveillance and use of data on children's growth in the Nordic countries and to reach consensus on how this can be improved.

METHODS

Members of the Promoting Healthy Weight in Children (PromoKids) network and additional public health professionals from five Nordic countries described their respective national growth surveillance systems. The various approaches to data collection and consolidation were analysed and compared.

RESULTS

In Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland, all children's weight and height are measured repeatedly at different intervals from birth by child and school health services. However, the data are not consistently registered centrally in all countries for use in public health planning, policymaking and research. Finland and Denmark had the most mature systems for data collection.

CONCLUSION

A consensus was reached that surveillance of body weight and height should be a mandatory element of national action plans to prevent and manage growth disorders including obesity, and to identify susceptible population groups. Surveillance protocols should be designed to prevent stigmatisation of children with overweight. Nordic countries should collaborate to accomplish comprehensive data coverage to uncover social inequalities and evaluate societal actions to prevent obesity in children.

Address: Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.; Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden.; Prevention and Primary Healthcare, The Danish Health Authority, Copenhagen, Denmark.; Department for Sustainable Diet and Health, The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Copenhagen, Denmark.; Department of Health and Inequalities, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.; Department of Child and Adolescent Health Promotion Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.; Department of Physical Health and Ageing, Centre for Sustainable Diets, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.; Department of Health Register Research and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.; Faculty of Health Promotion, Sport and Leisure Studies, School of Education, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.; Department of Pediatrics, Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.; Department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.; Department of Pediatrics, Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.; School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.; Department of Pediatrics, Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.; Kuopio University Hospital and University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL, Helsinki, Finland.

DOI: 10.1111/apa.70135

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Child, Scandinavian and Nordic Countries, Body Height, Child Development, Body Weight, Consensus, Child, Preschool, Population Surveillance