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Results of the National Childhood Measurement Programme for

2016 School Year

Welcome

We are delighted to be presenting this report on the results of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for Wiltshire as this year has seen a reduction in our local levels of excess weight in childhood.

As one of the statutory public health functions of the council, the NCMP provides vital information on levels of childhood obesity that is used to inform service provision and enables us to monitor our progress in tackling obesity. Each year the NCMP measures the height and weight of more than 9,000 children in Reception Year and Year 6 within state-maintained schools with pupils categorised as underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese.

Carolyn Godfrey, Results for the 2016 school year have confirmed that Corporate Director, levels of excess weight in Wiltshire continue to be lower than both the South West and averages. Obesity remains a significant public health challenge however due to its links to future health problems including diabetes and heart disease.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in making this important programme a success, including our Public Health Nursing teams who carry out the measurement process, the councils public health team and our local schools that continue to support delivery of the programme on their sites.

Councillor Jerry Wickham

Cabinet Member for Health Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director (including Public Health) and Adult Social Care

Councillor Jerry Wickham, Cabinet Member for Health (including Public Health) and Adult Social Care

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Introduction

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) Why is the NCMP so is a statutory public health function of the Local

Authority (LA) which provides vital information on important?

rates of childhood obesity locally and nationally. This Childhood obesity presents a significant public health annual programme measures the height and weight challenge, putting children at greater risk of

of over 9,000 children in Reception Year and Year 6 developing cancer, Type-2 diabetes and heart disease within state-maintained schools across the county in in later life.

order to assess the number of pupils who are underweight, of a healthy weight, overweight or Information collected through the NCMP allows us to obese. offer support directly to children and families where weight problems are identified. The parents of every

child identified as overweight or obese through the Key findings from the 2016 NCMP receives a letter outlining the support available locally to help the family adopt healthier lifestyles. school year Equally importantly, the results of the NCMP allow us • One in five pupils in Reception Year to plan and target prevention activities to ensure they are reaching areas of greatest need. School level (aged 4-5 years) and almost one in three pupils in Year 6 (aged 10-11 years) in Wiltshire were found results are also shared with head teachers to be overweight or obese in the 2016 school encouraging more emphasis on healthy eating and year. This is equivalent to 1,276 children physical activity in the curriculum in schools where identified as overweight and 1,141 identified as levels of overweight and obesity are highest. obese. WhaWiltshire’st percentagedoes th of overweighte NCMP or obese tell children us • Levels of excess weight (overweight or obese) in Reception Year (20.4%) is lower than the England continue to be lower in Wiltshire than both the a(21.9%)bou andt Southchil Westdhood percentages ob (21esit.9%).y in South West and England averages for Reception Year and Year 6. WiltsWiltshire’shi percentagere of overweight or obese children in Year 6 (29.2%) is also lower than the England (34.2%) • Levels of excess weight in children in Reception and South West percentages (30.3%). Year have stabilised, equating to 20.4% in 2016 compared to 20.3% in 2015. Levels of excess However, this is still equivalent to one in five pupils in weight in Year 6 have followed a similar pattern, Reception Year and almost one in three pupils in Year 6 equating to 29.2% in 2016 compared to 29.3% in in Wiltshire being overweight or obese in the 2016 2015 in the previous year. school year. This is equal to 1,276 children identified as overweight and 1,141 identified as obese. • Some areas within Wiltshire experience notably higher percentages of excess weight in childhood Although levels are lower than national and regional than the Wiltshire average. More deprived areas averages, excess weight in childhood still presents a of the county tend to have higher levels of excess significant public health challenge to our children’s weight than the more affluent areas. health and wellbeing because of the number of children it affects. • There have been significant improvements in delivery of the NCMP programme. Between school years 2006 and 2016, the percentage of eligible children weighed and measured has increased from 85% to 96% in Reception Year and from 68% to 93% in Year 6. This means we are measuring more children and can be more confident of the accuracy of our results.

One in five children in Reception

Year is overweight or obese (20.4%)

Almost one in three children in

Year 6 is overweight or obese (29.2%)

Overview of results from the NCMP Health inequa lities for the 2016 school year More children with unhealthy weights live in areas of higher deprivation and this is an example of how 2016 people’s experiences of health inequalities can be seen School Year Reception Year Year 6 from an early age. Number % Number % Underweight 23 0.4 44 1.0 • In the most deprived areas, 24.1% of Reception Year Healthy Weight 4264 79.2 3152 69.8 children were identified as overweight or obese in the 2016 NCMP compared to 20.4% for Wiltshire as a whole. Overweight 667 12.4 609 13.5

Obese 431 8.0 710 15.7 • In the most deprived areas 33.7% of Year 6 children Overweight and were identified as overweight or obese by this year’s Obese Combined 1098 20.4 1319 29.2 NCMP compared to 29.2% for Wiltshire as a whole. Coverage 5385 96.2 4515 92.9

It is important to understand variations in excess weight amongst our population so that we can understand and tackle inequalities in health outcomes.

This is why NCMP results are analysed to identify differences between genders, levels of deprivation and community areas

Gender Both locally and nationally, levels of excess weight are slightly higher in boys than girls.

• In Reception Year, 21.8% of boys compared to 18.9% of girls were overweight or obese

• In Year 6, 31.9% of boys compared to 26.4% of girls were overweight or obese.

Community area results

The map below shows the percentage and number of overweight and obese children in Reception Year by community area in the 2016 school year. This ranges from 12.3% in Tisbury to 27.8% in Westbury. Westbury, Tidworth, and have the highest percentages of Reception Year children identified as overweight or obese by this year’s NCMP. The numbers in brackets located under the name of each community area on the map indicate the number of Reception Year children identified as overweight or obese in that area. For example (41) had 41 children in Reception Year identified as overweight or obese.

The table below provides data on the percentage of children

identified as overweight or obese in Reception Year through the NCMP in 2015 and 2016 by Community

Area

% of Children Identified as

Overweight or Community Obese Area Reception Year 2016 School Year

Amesbury 20.5% Bradford-on- 16.8% Avon 21.2% 17.2% 13.6% 19.0% Malmesbury 21.4% Marlborough 21.3% Melksham 23.9% Mere 13.2% Pewsey 21.1% Salisbury 22.7% Southern 15.9% Wiltshire Tidworth 26.8% Tisbury 12.3% 21.5% Further summary analysis of levels of ‘excess weight' (either obese or overweight) amongst children of primary school age in terms of gender, 20.0% deprivation and geography (community area) by individual school year Westbury 27.8% (Reception Year and Year 6) can be accessed using the following link Wilton 19.1% Wiltshire NCMP 2016 Comparative Data RWB and 19.4%

The map below shows the percentage and number of obese or overweight children in Year 6 by community area in the 2016 school year. This ranges from 16.2% in Bradford on Avon to 35.1% in Mere. Mere, Salisbury Corsham, Calne, Warminster and Trowbridge have the highest percentages of Year 6 children identified as overweight or obese by this year’s NCMP. The numbers in brackets located under the name of each community area on the map indicate the number of Year 6 children identified as overweight or obese in that area. For example, Malmesbury

(48) had 48 children in Year 6 children identified as overweight or obese.

The table below provides data on the number of children identified as overweight or obese in Year 6 through the NCMP in 2015 and 2016 by Community Area

% of Children Identified as

Overweight or Community Obese Area Year 6 2016 School Year 29.5% Bradford-on- 16.2% Avon Calne 32.4% Chippenham 30.0% Corsham 32.4% Devizes 28.4% Malmesbury 26.2% Marlborough 18.8% Melksham 26.9% Mere* 35.1% Pewsey 30.5% Salisbury 32.6% Southern 28.2% Wiltshire Tidworth 25.3% Tisbury 29.8% Trowbridge 31.6% *It should be noted that although Mere reports the highest prevalence of excess Warminster 32.3% weight for 10-11 year olds, numbers in this community area are low (13) as this Westbury 31.0% area has a comparatively small child population eligible for measurement. Wilton 21.7%

RWB and 26.9% Further summary analysis of levels of ‘excess weight' (either obese or Cricklade overweight) amongst children of primary school age in terms of gender, deprivation and geography (community area) by individual school year (Reception Year and Year 6) can be accessed using the following link Wiltshire NCMP 2016 Comparative Data