Childhood obesity patterns and relation to middle-age sleep apnoea risk: the Bogalusa Heart Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity in adulthood is a known risk factor for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
• The association between childhood obesity and the risk of developing OSA in adulthood remains less understood.
• Understanding this link is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between overweight/obesity (OW) during childhood and the risk of OSA in middle age.
• To determine if different patterns of childhood OW (e.g., persistent, incident) influence future OSA risk.
• To provide evidence for the long-term health consequences of childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

• Classified childhood OW status into categories: never OW, weight cycling, persistent OW, and incident OW.
• Followed participants for 35 years to assess OSA risk using the Berlin Questionnaire (obesity-excluded scoring).
• Adjusted analyses for multiple risk factors and adult OW status to isolate the effect of childhood OW.

Main Results:

• 23.9% of participants were overweight/obese in childhood.
• 25.7% of participants were identified as high risk for OSA in middle age.
• Persistent and incident childhood OW were significantly associated with a 1.36 and 1.47 times higher risk of high OSA risk, respectively, compared to never OW individuals.

Conclusions:

• Childhood overweight/obesity is a significant predictor of high obstructive sleep apnoea risk in middle age.
• The duration of childhood OW also correlates with increased OSA risk, showing a trend with longer durations.
• These findings underscore the importance of addressing childhood obesity to mitigate long-term health risks like OSA.