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Factors related to obesity in preschool children
Insights
Familial aggregation of obesity and lower maternal education correlate with preschool obesity. Infant feeding practices and parental attitudes toward using food non-nutritively did not show significant relationships with childhood obesity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Understanding the multifactorial etiology of preschool obesity is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
- Familial aggregation of obesity suggests a genetic or shared environmental influence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between familial aggregation of obesity, infant feeding practices, socioeconomic status, and parental attitudes towards non-nutritive food use and preschool obesity.
- To identify key risk factors contributing to the prevalence of obesity in preschool-aged children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 94 preschool children and their biological parents.
- Collection of biographical data, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, skinfold), and responses to a Child Feeding Opinion Questionnaire.
- Evaluation of anthropometric data using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) percentile rankings.
Main Results:
- Prevalence rates for overweight and obesity were significant across children, mothers, and fathers.
- Strong, statistically significant correlations were observed between parent-child anthropometric measurements.
- Maternal educational level showed an inverse relationship with children's weight-for-height, while infant feeding practices and parental attitudes toward food use did not correlate significantly with childhood obesity.
Conclusions:
- Familial aggregation of obesity is a significant factor in preschool obesity.
- Maternal education level is associated with children's weight status.
- Current infant feeding practices and parental attitudes regarding the non-nutritive use of food do not appear to be primary drivers of preschool obesity in this cohort.
Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to examine the following variables for their relationship to the prevalence of preschool obesity: familial aggregation of obesity, infant feeding practices, socioeconomic status, and parents' attitudes toward the use of food for non-nutritive purposes. Parents completed a biographical data form. Height, weight, and skinfold measurements were obtained from 94 preschool children and their biological parents. Both parents answered a Child Feeding Opinion Questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were evaluated using percentile rankings from NHANES. On the assumption that subjects over the 75th percentile for triceps skinfold were overweight and those above the 90th percentile were obese, 23.4% and 7.5% of the children, 9.6% and 5.3% of the mothers, and 29.8% and 10.6% of the fathers were overweight or obese, respectively. Most parent-child anthropometric correlations were statistically significant. No statistically significant relationships were found between infant feeding practices and childhood obesity. Mothers' educational level varied inversely with the children's weight for height. Mothers and fathers opposed the use of food for reward, punishment, soothing, or affection. The parents' child feeding attitudes had no obvious relationship with the children's anthropometric measurements.