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Gut Microbiota and Body Weight in School-Aged Children: The KOALA Birth Cohort Study

Catherine A Mbakwa1,2, Gerben D A Hermes1,3, John Penders4

  • 1Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|October 9, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Specific gut bacteria like Prevotella and Akkermansia are linked to childhood overweight. This study identifies key bacterial groups associated with body weight in children, offering insights into gut health and metabolism.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Pediatric health
  • Nutritional science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host metabolism and health.
  • Understanding the relationship between gut bacteria and body weight in children is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between intestinal microbiota composition and overweight status in school-aged children.
  • To identify specific bacterial groups related to anthropometric outcomes in children.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of fecal microbiota composition in 295 children aged 6-7 years using the Human Intestinal Tract Chip.
  • Measurement of anthropometric outcomes including body mass index (BMI) percentiles and z-scores.
  • Application of elastic net and regression models to identify bacterial associations with weight status, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

  • Prevotella melaninogenica, Prevotella oralis, Dialister, and uncultured Clostridiales II were significant contributors to microbiota variation.
  • Several bacterial groups, including Sutterella wadsworthensis and Akkermansia, were inversely associated with anthropometric outcomes.
  • Streptococcus bovis showed a positive association with overweight, while microbial diversity and richness were not significantly linked to weight status.

Conclusions:

  • This study identified novel and known bacterial groups associated with overweight in children.
  • The findings highlight the potential role of specific gut bacteria in childhood energy metabolism.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the functional mechanisms of these bacteria in weight regulation.
Abstract

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