Early life factors affecting body mass index and waist-hip ratio in adolescence

A study of the relative contribution of early, parental, contemporary influences on body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) in adolescence was carried out in 213 families with adolescents in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Weight, height and body circumferences were measured in both parents and children and other relevant information was obtained by questionnaire. The parents of the families studied were broadly representative of the Geelong workforce. The data obtained were divided into three categories: early life, parental and contemporary. The early life influences studied were sociodemographic environment, illness during the first year of life, infant feeding practices, weight, height and rate of growth. Parental factors included socioeconomic and anthropometric characteristics. Contemporary influences, studied in the adolescents, included sociodemographic, lifestyle and anthropometric data as for the parents. Multivariate analyses (multiple regression analysis) was used to determine the strongest influence on BMI from each of the following categories: early life, parental and contemporary. Subsequently the factors identified from each of these three categories were combined in a further multiple regression analysis to determine the strongest overall determinants for BMI and WHR in adolescence. Apart from gender, only BMI at 50 months contributed significantly to BMI in adolescence. Similarly, apart from gender, only BMI at 80 months was a significant determinant of WHR in adolescence.