scholarly journals Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity

2018 ◽  
pp. 58-72
Author(s):  
Inyang A. Isong ◽  
Sowmya R. Rao ◽  
Marie-Abèle Bind ◽  
Mauricio Avendaño ◽  
Ichiro Kawachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Obesity Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood Obesity ◽  
Infant Weight Gain

OBJECTIVES The prevalence of childhood obesity is significantly higher among racial and/or ethnic minority children in the United States. It is unclear to what extent well-established obesity risk factors in infancy and preschool explain these disparities. Our objective was to decompose racial and/or ethnic disparities in children’s weight status according to contributing socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors. METHODS We used nationally representative data from ~10 700 children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort who were followed from age 9 months through kindergarten entry. We assessed the contribution of socioeconomic factors and maternal, infancy, and early childhood obesity risk factors to racial and/or ethnic disparities in children’s BMI z scores by using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analyses. RESULTS The prevalence of risk factors varied significantly by race and/or ethnicity. African American children had the highest prevalence of risk factors, whereas Asian children had the lowest prevalence. The major contributor to the BMI z score gap was the rate of infant weight gain during the first 9 months of life, which was a strong predictor of BMI z score at kindergarten entry. The rate of infant weight gain accounted for between 14.9% and 70.5% of explained disparities between white children and their racial and/or ethnic minority peers. Gaps in socioeconomic status were another important contributor that explained disparities, especially those between white and Hispanic children. Early childhood risk factors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption and television viewing, played less important roles in explaining racial and/or ethnic differences in children’s BMI z scores. CONCLUSIONS Differences in rapid infant weight gain contribute substantially to racial and/or ethnic disparities in obesity during early childhood. Interventions implemented early in life to target this risk factor could help curb widening racial and/or ethnic disparities in early childhood obesity.

scholarly journals Rapid infant weight gain and early childhood obesity in low-income Latinos and non-Latinos

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 1777-1784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Polk ◽  
Rachel Johnson Thornton ◽  
Laura Caulfield ◽  
Alvaro Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Latino Children ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Early Childhood Obesity ◽  
Paediatric Practice ◽  
Infant Weight Gain ◽  
Rapid Infant Weight Gain

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the growth of infants and toddlers in a population that is both under-represented in the literature and at high risk for childhood obesity.DesignWeight and height measurements were extracted from all visits for a sample of 0–4-year-old, low-income, Latino and non-Latino patients of an urban, academic general paediatric practice. Early growth was characterized as change in weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ) from birth to 3 years. The outcome of interest was BMI Z-score (BMIZ) at age 3 years. Mixed-effects models and multivariate linear regression were used to analyse the association between infant growth and early childhood obesity.SettingBaltimore, MD, USA.SubjectsLatino (n 210) and non-Latino (n 253) children, born in 2003–2004.ResultsAn increase in WLZ from birth to 2 years was observed for this cohort as well as a high incidence of overweight and obesity. WLZ at birth and change in WLZ from birth to 2 years were both significantly and positively associated with increases in BMIZ at 3 years of age. The effect of the change in WLZ was twofold higher than the effect of WLZ at birth.ConclusionsAn increase in WLZ during the first 2 years of life increased the risk of early childhood obesity. Latino children had a higher incidence of early childhood obesity than non-Latino children in this low-income sample.

scholarly journals Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. e20170865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inyang A. Isong ◽  
Sowmya R. Rao ◽  
Marie-Abèle Bind ◽  
Mauricio Avendaño ◽  
Ichiro Kawachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Early Childhood Obesity

scholarly journals Prediction Models for Early Childhood Obesity: Applicability and Existing Issues

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 358-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Éadaoin M. Butler ◽  
José G.B. Derraik ◽  
Rachael W. Taylor ◽  
Wayne S. Cutfield
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Statistical Models ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Early Childhood Obesity ◽  
The Impact

Statistical models have been developed for the prediction or diagnosis of a wide range of outcomes. However, to our knowledge, only 7 published studies have reported models to specifically predict overweight and/or obesity in early childhood. These models were developed using known risk factors and vary greatly in terms of their discrimination and predictive capacities. There are currently no established guidelines on what constitutes an acceptable level of risk (i.e., risk threshold) for childhood obesity prediction models, but these should be set following consideration of the consequences of false-positive and false-negative predictions, as well as any relevant clinical guidelines. To date, no studies have examined the impact of using early childhood obesity prediction models as intervention tools. While these are potentially valuable to inform targeted interventions, the heterogeneity of the existing models and the lack of consensus on adequate thresholds limit their usefulness in practice.

scholarly journals Childhood growth and development and DNA methylation age in mid-life

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Maddock ◽  
Juan Castillo-Fernandez ◽  
Andrew Wong ◽  
George B Ploubidis ◽  
Diana Kuh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Linear Growth ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Late Childhood ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Z Scores

ABSTRACTBackgroundIn the first study of its kind, we examine the association between growth and development in early life and DNAm age biomarkers in mid-life.MethodsParticipants were from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development(n=1,376). Four DNAm age acceleration(AgeAccel) biomarkers were measured when participants were aged 53y:AgeAccelHannum, AgeAccelHorvath, AgeAccelLevine and AgeAccelGrim. Exposure variables included relative weight gain (standardised residuals from models of current weight z-score on current height, and previous weight and height z-scores) and linear growth (standardised residuals from models of current height z-score on previous height and weight z-scores) during infancy (0-2y, weight gain only), early childhood(2-4y), middle childhood(4-7y) and late childhood to adolescence(7- 15y), age at menarche and pubertal stage for men at 14-15y. The relationship between relative weight gain and linear growth and AgeAccel was investigated using conditional growth models. We replicated analyses from the late childhood to adolescence period and pubertal timing among 240 participants from The National Child and Development Study(NCDS).ResultsA 1 SD increase in relative weight gain in late childhood to adolescence was associated with 0.50y(95% CI:0.20,0.79) higher AgeAccelGrim. This was replicated in NCDS (0.57y(95%CI:-0.01, 1.16). A I SD increase in linear growth during early childhood was associated with lower AgeAccelLevine(−0.39y [95% CI:-0.74,-0.04) however we did not have the data to replicate this finding in NCDS. There was no strong evidence that relative weight gain and linear growth in childhood was associated with any other AgeAccel biomarker. There was no relationship between pubertal timing in men and AgeAccel biomarkers. Women who reached menarche ≥12y had 1.20y(95% CI:0.15,2.24) higher AgeAccelGrim on average than women who reached menarche <12y; however this was not replicated in NCDS.ConclusionsOur findings generally do not support an association between growth and AgeAccel biomarkers in mid-life. However, rapid weight gain during pubertal development, which we found to be related to older AgeAccelGrim and had previously been related to higher cardiovascular disease risk, warrants further investigation.

scholarly journals Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity: Growth Trajectories in Body Mass Index

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma D. Guerrero ◽  
Cherry Mao ◽  
Bruce Fuller ◽  
Margaret Bridges ◽  
Todd Franke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Growth Trajectories ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Early Childhood Obesity

scholarly journals Reducing Hispanic Children’s Obesity Risk Factors in the First 1000 Days of Life: A Qualitative Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Woo Baidal ◽  
Shaniece Criss ◽  
Roberta E. Goldman ◽  
Meghan Perkins ◽  
Courtney Cunningham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Obesity Risk ◽  
Important Health ◽  
Obesity Risk Factors

Objectives. Modifiable behaviors during the first 1000 days (conception age 24 months) mediate Hispanic children’s obesity disparities. We aimed to examine underlying reasons for early life obesity risk factors and identify potential early life intervention strategies.Methods. We conducted 7 focus groups with 49 Hispanic women who were pregnant or had children < age 24 months. Domains included influences on childhood obesity risk factors and future intervention ideas. We analyzed data with immersion-crystallization methods until no new themes emerged.Results. Themes included coping with pregnancy may trump healthy eating and physical activity; early life weight gain is unrelated to later life obesity; fear of infant hunger drives bottle and early solids introduction; beliefs about infant taste promote early solids and sugary beverage introduction; and belief that screen time promotes infant development. Mothers identified physicians, nutritionists, and relatives as important health information sources and expressed interest in mobile technology and group or home visits for interventions.Conclusion. Opportunities exist in the first 1000 days to improve Hispanic mothers’ understanding of the role of early life weight gain in childhood obesity and other obesity risk factors. Interventions that link health care and public health systems and include extended family may prevent obesity among Hispanic children.

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