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Published on: July 16, 2016
A longitudinal analysis of sugar-sweetened beverage intake in infancy and obesity at 6 years
Liping Pan1, Ruowei Li2, Sohyun Park2
1Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia lpan@cdc.gov.
Insights
Consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in infancy doubles the risk of childhood obesity by age 6. Early SSB introduction is a significant predictor of later obesity, highlighting potential early life intervention targets.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Infant feeding practices significantly influence long-term health outcomes.
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern with origins in early life.
- Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major source of added sugars in young children's diets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption during infancy and the development of obesity at 6 years of age.
- To determine if the timing of SSB introduction in infancy impacts later obesity risk.
- To analyze the relationship between the frequency of SSB intake in late infancy and childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 1189 children from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, followed to age 6.
- Mothers reported children's weight and height; obesity defined as BMI-for-age ≥95th percentile.
- Logistic regression analysis controlled for baseline characteristics to assess SSB intake predictors of obesity.
Main Results:
- Obesity prevalence at age 6 was twice as high in children who consumed SSBs during infancy (17.0%) compared to non-consumers (8.6%).
- Any SSB intake during infancy was associated with a 71% increased odds of obesity at age 6.
- Introduction of SSBs before 6 months was linked to a 92% higher odds of obesity; consumption ≥3 times/week at 10-12 months doubled obesity odds.
Conclusions:
- Infant SSB consumption is associated with significantly higher odds of obesity at age 6.
- Early exposure to SSBs during infancy may represent a critical risk factor for developing childhood obesity.
- Further research is needed to explore potential unmeasured behavioral confounders in this association.
Objective:
To examine whether sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake during infancy predicts obesity at age 6 years.
Methods:
We included 1189 children who participated in the Infant Feeding Practices Study II in 2005-2007 and were followed up at 6 years in 2012. Children's weight and height were measured by mothers. Obesity was defined as gender-specific BMI-for-age ≥95th percentile. We used logistic regression to estimate the associations of any SSB intake and age at SSB introduction before 12 months and mean SSB intake during ages 10 to 12 months with obesity at 6 years controlling for baseline characteristics.
Results:
The obesity prevalence at 6 years among children who consumed SSBs during infancy was twice as high as that among non-SSB consumers (17.0% vs 8.6%). The adjusted odds of obesity at 6 years was 71% higher for any SSB intake and 92% higher for SSB introduction before 6 months compared with no SSB intake during infancy. Children who consumed SSBs ≥3 times per week during ages 10 to 12 months had twice the odds of obesity compared with those who consumed no SSBs in this period. However, among children who consumed SSBs, the odds of obesity at 6 years did not differ by age at SSB introduction during infancy or by mean weekly SSB intake during ages 10 to 12 months.
Conclusions:
Children who consumed SSBs during infancy had higher odds of obesity at 6 years than non-SSB consumers. SSB consumption during infancy may be a risk factor for obesity in early childhood. Whether unmeasured behaviors contributed to the association is unclear.
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