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Childhood overweight status predicts diabetes at age 21 years: a follow-up study

Abdullah Al Mamun1, Susanna M Cramb, Michael J O'Callaghan

  • 1School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. mamun@sph.uq.edu.au

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|February 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Childhood overweight and higher BMI z-scores predict young adult diabetes risk. This association remained significant after adjusting for various lifestyle and environmental factors, highlighting childhood BMI as a key predictor.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern with potential long-term health implications.
  • Understanding the link between early-life Body Mass Index (BMI) and later-onset diabetes is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prospective association between childhood BMI z-score and BMI categories with diabetes development in young adulthood.
  • To determine if childhood BMI is an independent predictor of diabetes by age 21.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective birth cohort study (Mater-University Study of Pregnancy and its Outcomes) involving 2,639 young adults.
  • Childhood BMI (at 5 years) and young adult diabetes (at 21 years) were assessed.
  • Statistical analyses controlled for early life, childhood, and adolescent factors.

Main Results:

  • Young adults with higher childhood BMI z-scores or who were overweight at age 5 had a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes by age 21.
  • Overweight children at age 5 had an odds ratio of 2.60 for developing diabetes by age 21.
  • These associations were robust even after adjusting for potential confounders like diet, physical activity, and current weight.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood overweight and elevated BMI z-scores are independent predictors of young adult diabetes (type 1 and type 2).
  • Childhood BMI plays a central role in the development and increasing incidence of diabetes.
  • Early identification and management of childhood overweight are critical for diabetes prevention.

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