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Associations between obesity and developmental functioning in pre-school children: a population-based study

J M Mond1, H Stich, P J Hay

  • 1School of Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. jonathan.mond@jcu.edu.au

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|May 2, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Obesity is linked to developmental impairments in preschoolers. Obese boys showed more gross motor skill issues, while obese girls had more attention difficulties, suggesting gender-specific effects.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric developmental psychology
  • Childhood obesity research
  • Public health and epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Developmental functioning in early childhood is crucial for long-term outcomes.
  • Understanding the interplay between obesity and development is vital for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between obesity and developmental functioning in preschool children.
  • To identify potential gender-specific associations between obesity and developmental impairments.

Main Methods:

  • A large-scale study involving 9415 preschool children (aged 4.4-8.6 years) from Germany.
  • Standardized medical examinations and developmental assessments across motor, speech, cognitive, and psychosocial domains.
  • Statistical analysis controlling for age, gender, and other covariates.

Main Results:

  • Obesity prevalence was higher in girls (4.3%) than boys (2.4%).
  • Obese boys had a higher prevalence of gross motor skill impairment (adjusted OR=1.76).
  • Obese girls showed a higher prevalence of attention impairment (adjusted OR=1.86).

Conclusions:

  • Gender-specific associations exist between childhood obesity and specific developmental impairments.
  • Obesity may impact gross motor skills in boys and attention abilities in girls.
  • Early identification and intervention for obesity-related developmental issues are important.
Abstract

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