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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Early life weight patterns and risk of obesity at 5 years: A population-based cohort study

Serena Broccoli1, Olivera Djuric2, Laura Bonvicini1

  • 1Epidemiology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Preventive Medicine
|February 17, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity risk at age 5 is strongly linked to BMI at age 3. Early intervention for overweight or obese 3-year-olds could prevent most cases of childhood obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity presents a significant public health challenge in industrialized nations.
  • Understanding early risk factors is crucial for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the risk of obesity at age 5 based on Body Mass Index (BMI) at age 3.
  • To evaluate the impact of BMI z-score changes from birth to age 3 on obesity risk at age 5.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based study involving 5173 children.
  • Collection of BMI data at ages 3 and 5, linked to birth weight information.
  • Statistical analysis including odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of obesity at age 5 was 3.8%.
  • Children overweight or obese at age 3 faced significantly higher risks (18.6% and 62% respectively) of obesity at age 5.
  • While BMI z-score increases from birth to age 3 correlate with obesity risk, this association diminishes when controlling for BMI at age 3.

Conclusions:

  • BMI status at age 3 is a strong predictor of obesity at age 5.
  • Targeting preventive interventions for the 9.8% of 3-year-olds who are overweight or obese could potentially address 71% of future childhood obesity cases.
  • Focusing interventions on early childhood BMI provides a promising avenue for mitigating long-term obesity risks.

Keywords:
BMIBirth weightObesityOverweightWeight

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