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Updated: Dec 26, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Comparison between type A and type B early adiposity rebound in predicting overweight and obesity in children: a
Johanna Roche1,2,3, Sylvain Quinart1,4, David Thivel3,5
1Research Unit EA3920 'Prognostic Markers and Regulatory Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases', University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 25000Besançon, France.
Insights
Early adiposity rebound (EAR) subtypes predict childhood obesity risk. Type A-EAR in early childhood significantly increases odds of being overweight or obese by age 6-8 years.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Childhood Obesity
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Early adiposity rebound (EAR) is a known predictor of pediatric overweight/obesity.
- Current methods for assessing EAR do not fully integrate the starting point of rebound with BMI trajectory.
- Identifying children at risk for obesity early is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare clinical characteristics based on EAR and its subtypes (Type A/B-EAR).
- To assess the odds of childhood overweight/obesity at 6-8 years based on EAR subtypes identified at 3-5 years.
Main Methods:
- A two-wave observational study involving 1055 children at 3-5 years and 867 at 6-8 years.
- Data collection included antenatal/postnatal factors, birth weight, and health records for weight and height.
- EAR subtypes (Type A/B) were defined based on BMI nadir and BMI z-score variation.
Main Results:
- 40.4% of children exhibited EAR, with 172 classified as Type A-EAR.
- Type A-EAR children had higher rates of parental obesity and greater birth weight.
- Adjusted odds for overweight/obesity at 6-8 years were significantly higher for Type A-EAR (OR 21.35) but not for Type B-EAR (OR 1.76).
Conclusions:
- Classifying EAR into subtypes (Type A and Type B) offers a more precise method for risk identification.
- Type A-EAR, identified before age 5, is a strong predictor of later overweight/obesity.
- This classification aids physicians in identifying at-risk children for early intervention.
Abstract:
Early adiposity rebound (EAR) predicts paediatric overweight/obesity, but current approaches do not consider both the starting point of EAR and the BMI trajectory. We compared the clinical characteristics at birth, age 3-5 and 6-8 years of children, according to the EAR and to its type (type A/type B-EAR). We assessed the children's odds of being classified as overweight/obese at age 6-8 years, according to the type of EAR as defined at age 3-5 years. As part of this two-wave observational study, 1055 children were recruited and examined at age 3-5 years. Antenatal and postnatal information was collected through interviews with parents, and weight and height from the health records. Type A and type B-EAR were defined in wave 1 according to the BMI nadir and the variation of BMI z-score between the starting point of the adiposity rebound and the last point on the curve. At 6-8 years (wave 2), 867 children were followed up; 426 (40·4 %) children demonstrated EAR. Among them, 172 had type A-EAR, higher rates of parental obesity (P < 0·05) and greater birth weight compared with other children (P < 0·001). Odds for overweight/obesity at 6-8 years, when adjusting for antenatal and postnatal factors, was 21·35 (95 % CI 10·94, 41·66) in type A-EAR children and not significant in type B-EAR children (OR 1·76; 95 % CI 0·84, 3·68) compared with children without EAR. Classification of EAR into two subtypes provides physicians with a reliable approach to identify children at risk for overweight/obesity before the age of 5 years.
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