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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Predicting childhood overweight status by accelerated weight gain from neonatal period to infancy
Shahin Koohmanaee1, Hamidreza Badeli1, Afagh Hassanzadeh Rad1
1Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Insights
Accelerated weight gain in infancy, particularly by 18 months, can predict childhood obesity. Early identification of rapid weight gain (RWG) is crucial for public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Childhood Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Obesity in early life can lead to long-term health issues, including cardiovascular problems and adult obesity.
- Infant weight gain patterns are being investigated as early indicators of future overweight status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relationship between accelerated weight gain during infancy and overweight status in 7-year-old children.
- To identify optimal time points and thresholds for rapid weight gain (RWG) that predict later childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- A historical cohort study involving 637 7-year-old students in Guilan, Iran.
- Collected demographic data and infant weight at 4, 6, 12, and 18 months.
- Utilized ROC curve analysis to determine the best cutoff points for RWG predicting 7-year-old obesity based on sensitivity and specificity.
Main Results:
- The study analyzed rapid weight gain (RWG) across different infant periods (0-4, 0-6, 0-12, 0-18 months).
- The highest predictive power for obesity at age 7 was observed for RWG between 0-18 months (AUC=0.7 ± 0.05).
- A RWG of 8.55 kg by 18 months showed 65.5% sensitivity and 72.0% specificity for predicting childhood obesity.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that rapid weight gain in infancy, especially up to 18 months, is a significant predictor of childhood obesity.
- Earlier monitoring of infant weight gain is recommended, potentially even before 3 years of age.
- This research highlights the importance of early intervention strategies targeting infant weight management.
Background:
The increased prevalence of obesity in early childhood is a public health problem. Childhood obesity may affect cardiorespiratory fitness and can induce obesity and its comorbidities in adulthood. We aimed to assess childhood overweight status by accelerated weight gain during infancy.
Materials And Methods:
This is a historical cohort that was conducted on 637 7-year-old students of Guilan province, north of Iran. Data were collected, including demographic characteristics, weight at 4, 6, 12, and 18 months, and clinical examination. The ROC curve was designated based on the standardized z-scores, and the most appropriate cutoff point by sensitivity and specificity was noted for predicting obesity at 7 years. Rapid weight gain (RWG) was also assessed.
Results:
Among participants, 334 (53.3%) were female. In this study, the mean and standard deviation of RWG in 0-4 months, 0-6 months, 0-12 months, and 0-18 months were 3.50 ± 0.89, 4.64 ± 1.02, 6.54 ± 1.21, and 8.00 ± 1.46 kg, respectively. The highest AUC was dedicated to 0-18 months (0.7 ± 0.05) and the suitable cut-off for RWG in this interval was 8.55 kg with 65.5% and 72.0% sensitivity and specificity, respectively.
Conclusion:
Although in the previous investigations, the changes in the first 3 years of life had a significant role in further complications, regarding our results, it seems that even earlier consideration of excess weight gain may be necessary.
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