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Influence factors on the development of obesity in 3-year-old children based on the Toyama study
E Takahashi1, K Yoshida, H Sugimori
1Department of Preventive Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan. etaka@anet.ne.jp
Insights
Childhood obesity is linked to adult obesity and chronic diseases. Key factors for obesity in 3-year-olds include parental weight, birth weight, limited outdoor play, and irregular snacking.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Preventive Medicine
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a precursor to adult obesity, increasing risks for hypertension and atherosclerosis.
- Preventive strategies targeting early life factors are crucial for long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between lifestyle and obesity in 3-year-old children.
- To identify key factors contributing to the development of early childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 427 obese and 854 non-obese 3-year-olds from the Toyama study in Japan.
- Data collected via questionnaires on lifestyle, environment, and parental history, with matched-pair comparisons and multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Main Results:
- Significant risk factors for childhood obesity included maternal employment, limited outdoor playtime (≤1 hour), irregular snacking, and parental overweight (BMI >/= 24).
- Overweight at birth (≥3,500 g) was also a significant predictor, even after adjusting for confounding variables.
Conclusions:
- Parental overweight and high birth weight are identified as host factors contributing to childhood obesity.
- Physical inactivity and irregular snacking are key behavioral factors, while maternal employment is an environmental influence.
Background:
Obesity in childhood increases the risk of obesity in adulthood. Obesity in adulthood is a risk factor for chronic diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. Therefore, it is important to eliminate factors influencing the development of obesity in children from the viewpoint of preventive medicine. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the relationship between obesity and lifestyle in 3-year-old children in a case-control study.
Methods:
Subjects were selected from the Toyama study at health checkups for 3-year-old children which are done routinely by local governments in Japan on all children of that age. A special questionnaire consisting of items on lifestyle and environmental factors of the children and past histories of parents was distributed to the Toyama study participants beforehand and was collected at the checkup. Matched-pair comparisons were performed between obese children whose body mass index was 18 or more (N = 427) and control children (N = 854) matched by sex and birth month. Multivariate stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis was also applied to assess the influence of confounding factors.
Results:
The following six factors significantly influenced the development of obese 3-year-old children using the Mantel-Haenszel method: the mother's job, limited playtime outdoors (1 hour or less), snacking irregularity, an overweight father (body mass index >/= 24), an overweight mother (body mass index >/= 24), and overweight at birth (birth weight >/= 3,500 g). An overweight mother or father, limited playtime outdoors, overweight at birth, and snacking irregularity were significantly related to obesity in 3-year-old children after adjusting for confounding factors by multivariate stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis.
Conclusions:
We have suggested several factors influencing the development of obesity in 3-year-old Japanese children: parental overweight and overweight at birth as host factors, physical inactivity and snacking irregularity as behavioral factors, the mother's job as an environmental factor.