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A longitudinal study of birth weight and being overweight in late adolescence
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Insights
Higher birth weight in infants is strongly linked to being overweight in adolescence. This association persists even when considering other factors, though its predictive power is limited.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Epidemiology
- Adolescent Health
- Public Health Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Understanding early life predictors of adolescent weight status is crucial for prevention strategies.
- Birth weight is a readily available metric that may indicate future health trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between birth weight categories and the risk of being overweight in late adolescence.
- To determine if this association is independent of potential confounding factors.
- To quantify the predictive power of birth weight for adolescent overweight status.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 33,413 infants born in Jerusalem (1964-1971) was followed up to age 17.
- Logistic regression models were employed to calculate adjusted odds ratios for overweight and severely overweight status based on birth weight.
- Potential confounders including ethnic origin, parental education, birth order, maternal age, and residence area were controlled for.
Main Results:
- Elevated odds of being overweight (≥90th percentile BMI) and severely overweight (≥97th percentile BMI) were observed in adolescents born with higher birth weights (above 3000-3499g).
- For males with birth weight >4500g, adjusted odds ratios were 2.16 and 2.30 for overweight and severe overweight, respectively.
- For females with birth weight >4500g, adjusted odds ratios were significantly higher at 2.95 and 4.39 for overweight and severe overweight, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Higher birth weight is a significant independent predictor of being overweight in late adolescence.
- The findings highlight the importance of monitoring birth weight as a potential early indicator of adolescent obesity risk.
- Despite a strong correlation, the predictive accuracy of birth weight alone for adolescent overweight status is limited.
Abstract:
A total of 33,413 infants born in Jerusalem between 1964 and 1971 were followed up at 17 years of age by matching computerized database files. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios for being overweight at 17 years of age for 500-g birth weight categories from less than 2500 g to 4500 g or greater. Information on the ethnic origin, paternal education, birth order, maternal age, and area of residence at birth was available, and these factors were used as possible confounders. The adjusted odds ratios for being overweight (greater than or equal to 90th percentile; body mass index greater than 24.6 kg/m2) and severely overweight (greater than or equal to 97th percentile; body mass index greater than 27.8 kg/m2) at 17 years of age was elevated for the three birth weight categories above the normal reference category of 3000 to 3499 g, with an estimate of 2.16 and 2.30 for male subjects with a birth weight greater than 4500 g and 2.95 and 4.39 for female subjects. The data suggest that higher birth weights correlate strongly with being overweight in late adolescence independently of other factors considered. However, the predictive power of this association is poor.