National Child Measurement Programme
BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY LOCAL LEVEL ANALYSES IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU READ 2008/09 NCMP ANALYSIS GUIDANCE FOR PCTs AND PHOs
Background Information
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is an important element of the Government’s work programme on childhood obesity, and is operated jointly by the Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The NCMP was established in 2005.
Every year, as part of the NCMP, children in Reception and Year 6 are weighed and measured during the school year to inform local planning and delivery of services for children; and gather population-level surveillance data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity.
The NCMP also helps to increase public and professional understanding of weight issues in children and is a useful vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issues. To encourage engagement, parents can request their child’s results from their Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
Supporting NOO Documents
National Child Measurement Programme: Detailed Analysis of the 2007/08 Dataset
This report presents detailed secondary analyses to further our understanding of the epidemiology of child height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) across England. It attempts to explain some of the findings presented in the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care 2007/08 NCMP report.
The report provides analysis of PCT participation levels and investigates data quality issues in the collection of the 2007/08 NCMP dataset. Data on prevalence of underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity are analysed, comparing the 2007/08 data to the 2006/07, and the 1990 baseline.
Analyses by deprivation and ethnic group are also included. The report further examines how the distribution of BMI differs by age and sex of the child sample population, and investigates changes since the 1990 baseline. It looks at the association between obesity prevalence and characteristics of the individual children and the PCTs in which they were measured using regression analysis.
We welcome your feedback. If you have any queries or comments on this report please contact info@noo.org.uk
Download: National Child Measurement Programme: Detailed Analysis of the 2007/08 Dataset
2008/09 NCMP analysis guidance for PCTs and public health observatories (PHOs)
The 2008/09 NCMP analysis guidance for PCTs and public health observatories (PHOs) provides information on further analyses that may be undertaken on the 2008/09 National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) dataset in order to:
- produce a regional or local overview of the data;
- obtain a better understanding of the epidemiology of child obesity and overweight within their area;
- feed back useful information to PCTs, school nursing teams, schools, or other partners, ensuring confidentiality of the data;
- help improve participation and data quality in the 2009/10 NCMP.
Further analysis of the NCMP 2008/09 dataset is optional. This guidance is designed to support those PHOs and PCTs that wish to undertake additional investigation of the data.
Download: 2008/09 NCMP analysis guidance for PCTs and PHOs
This guidance supercedes:
2007/08 Guidance
2006/07 guidance.
National Child Measurement Programme: Detailed Analysis of the 2006/07 National Dataset
This report, entitled National Child Measurement Programme: Detailed Analysis of the 2006/07 National Dataset, highlights the usefulness of the NCMP for advancing our understanding of underweight, overweight and obesity in children. The report looks at the effects of socio-demographic and other factors on the reported prevalence of childhood obesity. It also identifies areas where improvements can be made, and where further analysis and investigation are required.
Download: National Child Measurement Programme: Detailed Analysis of the 2006/07 National Dataset
NOO presented a poster titled Health inequalities and childhood obesity: are ethnicity and the urban environment determinants of obesity or is deprivation a confounding factor for both? at the 17th European Congress on Obesity in Amsterdam in May 2009.
The wider literature on obesity and its determinants describes a strong relationship between obesity prevalence and deprivation, areas of high deprivation in England have the highest prevalence of obesity. The poster uses NCMP data to investigate whether deprivation is a confounding factor for both urban environment and ethnicity in their association with the likelihood of being classified as obese.
Data
The National Child Measurement Programme annually weighs and measures children in reception year and year six in maintained schools in England. The programme began in 2005 and provides the most robust source of childhood obesity data in England.
- Methodology: Measured height and weight classified using the ‘population monitoring’ thresholds of the 85th and 95th percentiles of the British 1990 growth reference population (UK90) to classify children as overweight or obese.(In clinical settings the 91st and 98th percentiles tend to be used.) Data on child's ethnicity and geography also collected.
- Start date: 2005/6
- Frequency of survey: Annually
- Most recent return: 2008/9
- Commissioned by: Department of Health
- Data stored by: Information Centre
- Coverage: GOR, LA, PCT, SOA
- Caveats: Relies on good uptake rates and completion of ethnicity and postcode data fields.
- Link to data source: NCMP on Information Centre website, NOO NCMP E-Atlas & Maps
- Link to associated reports: National Child Measurement Programme: England, 2008/9 school year
