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Family and early life factors associated with changes in overweight status between ages 5 and 14 years: findings from the Mater University Study of Pregnancy and its outcomes

International Journal of Obesity volume 29, pages 475–482 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To describe different patterns of overweight status between ages 5 and 14 y and examine the role of modifiable family and early life characteristics in explaining different patterns of change between these two ages.

DESIGN:

A population-based prospective birth cohort.

SUBJECTS:

A total of 2934 children (52% males) who were participants in the Mater-University study of pregnancy, Brisbane, and who were examined at ages 5 and 14 y.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Four patterns of change in overweight/obesity status between ages 5 and 14 y: (i) normal at both ages; (ii) normal at 5 y and overweight/obese at 14 y; (iii) overweight/obese at 5 y and normal at 14 y; (iv) overweight/obese at both ages.

RESULTS:

Of the 2934 participants, 2018 (68.8%) had a normal body mass index (BMI) at ages 5 and 14 y, 425 (14.5%) changed from a normal BMI at age 5 y to overweight or obese at age 14 y, 175 (6.0%) changed from being overweight or obese at age 5 y to normal weight at age 14 y and 316 (10.8%) were overweight or obese at both ages 5 and 14 y. Girls were more likely to make the transition from overweight or obese at age 5 y to normal at 14 y than their boy counterparts. Children whose parents were overweight or obese were more likely to change from having a normal BMI at age 5 y to being overweight at 14 y (fully adjusted RR: 6.17 (95% CI: 3.97, 9.59)) and were more likely to be overweight at both ages (7.44 (95% CI: 4.60, 12.02)). Birth weight and increase in weight over the first 6 months of life were both positively associated with being overweight at both ages. Other explanatory factors were not associated with the different overweight status transitions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Parental overweight status is an important determinant of whether a child is overweight at either stage or changes from being not overweight at 5 y to becoming so at 14 y.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all participants in the study. Greg Shuttlewood, University of Queensland, helped with data management for the study. The core study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia. This work was funded by the NHMRC (grant number: 252834) and was carried out at The University of Queensland and The Mater Hospital. DAL is funded by a (UK) Department of Health Career Scientist Award. The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any funding body.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Longitudinal Studies Unit, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    A A Mamun, G M Williams & J M Najman

  2. Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, UK

    D A Lawlor

  3. Child Development and Rehabilitation Services, Mater Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

    M J O'Callaghan

  4. School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    J M Najman

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  1. A A Mamun
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Correspondence to A A Mamun.

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Mamun, A., Lawlor, D., O'Callaghan, M. et al. Family and early life factors associated with changes in overweight status between ages 5 and 14 years: findings from the Mater University Study of Pregnancy and its outcomes. Int J Obes 29, 475–482 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802922

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