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Influence of Grandparental Child Care on Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ruopeng An1, Xiaoling Xiang2, Na Xu3

  • 1Brown School, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Childhood Obesity (Print)
|January 24, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Grandparental child care is linked to a 30% increased risk of childhood overweight and obesity. This systematic review found no association with children

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Grandparental involvement in childcare is common globally.
  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding factors influencing childhood weight is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze the relationship between grandparental child care and childhood obesity.
  • To assess the pooled effect of grandparental caregiving on children's weight outcomes.
  • To explore potential moderators such as country and caregiver role.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search in CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science.
  • Inclusion of 23 studies (longitudinal, cross-sectional, case-control, qualitative).
  • Meta-analysis of 14 studies focusing on overweight/obesity and BMI z-scores.

Main Results:

  • Grandparental child care was associated with a 30% increased risk of childhood overweight/obesity.
  • No significant association was found between grandparental child care and children's BMI z-scores after correcting for publication bias.
  • Meta-regressions indicated no differences based on country or specific grandparental roles.

Conclusions:

  • Preliminary evidence suggests grandparental child care may elevate the risk of childhood overweight/obesity.
  • Further research is needed to clarify mechanisms and focus on specific age groups and validated measures.
  • Investigating pathways linking grandparental care to weight outcomes is essential.

Keywords:
grandparentmeta-analysisobesityreview

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