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A prospective study of weight development and behavior problems in toddlers: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort

Susan Garthus-Niegel1, Knut A Hagtvet, Margarete E Vollrath

  • 1Department of Psychosomatics and Health Behavior, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Postbox 4404, Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway. susanniegel@gmail.com

BMC Public Health
|October 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

In toddlers up to 36 months, behavior problems were not linked to higher body mass index (BMI). This study found no evidence that behavior issues cause overweight or vice versa in early childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Child psychology
  • Pediatric health
  • Developmental science

Background:

  • Previous studies suggest a link between overweight and behavior problems in children, but causality is unclear.
  • The relationship between child behavior and body mass index (BMI) in early development requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between child behavior problems and BMI in toddlers.
  • To determine if overweight is a risk factor for behavior problems or if behavior problems lead to overweight in toddlers.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective population study of 10,860 toddlers from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study.
  • Data collected via maternal questionnaires and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway up to 36 months.
  • Behavior problems assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist; BMI calculated from height and weight measurements.

Main Results:

  • No cross-sectional association was found between behavior problems and BMI at 18 or 36 months.
  • No evidence indicated that behavior problems influenced BMI over time, or that BMI influenced behavior problems.

Conclusions:

  • The link between behavior problems and BMI observed in older children is not present in toddlers up to 36 months.
  • Future research should investigate the 3-6 year age range, including the adiposity rebound period.
Abstract

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