Recognizing and treating child overweight and obesity

Background: Childhood obesity presents a significant public health challenge globally. The period from conception to two years after birth, the first 1000 days, represents a critical period during which the experience of maternal stress may be related to the development of childhood obesity. Research to date suggests some positive associations between maternal stress during the first 1000 days and childhood obesity, but findings are inconsistent and have not yet been comprehensively synthesised. The purpose of this review is to systematically examine the association between maternal stress during the first 1000 days and the risk of child overweight and obesity. Methods: The following electronic databases will be searched from inception using a detailed search strategy: the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, Maternity and Infant Care, and Web of Science. Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies examining maternal stress during the first 1000 days and child overweight and obesity up to the age of 10 years will be included. Titles, abstracts and full articles will be screened by two investigators independently to identify eligible studies. A standardised data extraction form will be used to extract data including: study design; maternal stress exposure; child outcome; exclusion criteria; participant characteristics; and assessment methods. The Cochrane Collaboration’s bias classification tool for observational studies will be used to assess study quality. This protocol is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol (PRISMA-P) checklist, and the systematic review will be conducted and reported following the PRISMA checklist. If possible, random effects models will be used to perform meta-analyses. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required for this study as it will not involve conducting experimental research, nor include identifying personal data. The systematic review will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018100363

Download Full-text

Long work hours of mothers and fathers are linked to increased risk for overweight and obesity among preschool children: longitudinal evidence from Germany

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2018-211132 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 73 (8) ◽

pp. 723-729 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jianghong Li ◽

Till Kaiser ◽

Matthias Pollmann-Schult ◽

Lyndall Strazdins

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Childhood Overweight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The Body ◽

Work Hours ◽

Employment Protection ◽

Mothers And Fathers ◽

Child Overweight ◽

Long Work Hours ◽

The Impact

BackgroundMost existing studies on maternal employment and childhood overweight/obesity are from the USA. They are predominantly cross-sectional and show a consistent linear association between the two. Less is known about the joint impact of fathers’ and mothers’ work hours on childhood overweight and obesity.ObjectivesTo examine the impact of maternal and paternal work hours on overweight/obesity among children aged 1–6 years in Germany using longitudinal data.MethodsChild body weight and height and their parents’ work hours were collected for 2413 children at ages 0–1, ages 2–3 and ages 5–6. Overweight and obesity was defined using the body mass index percentiles based on the Cole LMS-Method. Random effects model was conducted, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics of parents and children.ResultsCompared with non-employment, when mothers worked 35 or more hours per week, the risk for child overweight and obesity increased among preschool children. When fathers worked 55 or more hours per week, this effect was strengthened and maternal part-time hours (24–34 per week) also became a risk for child overweight and obesity. The effect was mainly found in high-income families.ConclusionsBoth mothers’ and fathers’ long work hours matter to young children’s overweight status. Employment protection and work time regulation for both working parents during the first 6 years of the child’s life should be considered in future policy.

Download Full-text