Overweight & obesity epidemic, temporal trends and regional disparities in physical growth of Vietnamese children.

Published population-based data regarding physical growth of Vietnamese children is meager. We analyzed anthropometric data from 2018 to 2024 of 202,163 annual health check visits of 88,884 children aged from 18 months to 18 years attending private schools in 3 major cities in Vietnam (Hochiminh, Hanoi and Haiphong) to evaluate physical growth, especially overweight and obesity, temporal trends and regional disparities in the physical growth of Vietnamese children. The prevalence (95% confidence interval (CI)) of overweight and obesity was strikingly high for males (47.7% (47.3%, 48%)) and females (26.3% (26%, 26.7%)) aged from 5 years to 18 years. This was approximately three and two folds, respectively, higher than WHO cutoff values for very high public health significance. There was a significant decrease in overweight and obesity prevalence and a significant increase in median height of adolescents from 2018 to 2024. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was highest in Haiphong and the median height for most age in years of males and females was shortest in Haiphong as compared to Hanoi and Hochiminh. Our findings indicate that prevention and control measures should be implemented to reduce the burden and related health issues of overweight and obesity in Vietnamese urban children.