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Widespread prevalence of a CREBRF variant amongst Māori and Pacific children is associated with weight and height in early childhood

International Journal of Obesity volume 42, pages 603–607 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective:

Investigating a large and ethnically diverse cohort from the Pacific region, we aimed to replicate and extend the recently reported findings that a CREBRF genetic variant is strongly associated with body mass index in Samoans.

Methods:

A birth cohort of more than six thousand children was utilised. In this study, genotyping of two markers (rs12513649 and rs373863828) was undertaken in Māori, Pacific, European and Asian individuals in the cohort.

Results:

We report that these CREBRF genetic variants are not confined to Samoans but are prevalent in all other Pacific populations sampled, including Māori. We found that the rs373863828 variant was significantly associated with growth at 4 years of age. On average, we observed allele-specific increases in weight (P=0·004, +455 g, s.e. 0.158), height (P=0·007, +0·70 cm, s.e. 0.26) and waist circumference (P=0·004, +0·70 cm, s.e. 0.24) at 4 years of age. The rs373863828 variant was not associated with birth weight (P=0·129).

Conclusions:

We replicated the finding that a CREBRF variant is associated with increased body mass. We then built on the original findings by demonstrating the prevalence of the rs12513649 and rs373863828 variants in multiple Pacific population groups and by demonstrating that the rs373863828 variant is associated with growth in early childhood. Pacific population groups experience a disproportionately high burden of obesity, starting in early childhood. This new knowledge offers potential for evidence-based interventions aimed at establishing healthy growth trajectories from the earliest possible age.

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Acknowledgements

Growing Up in New Zealand has been funded by the New Zealand Ministries of Social Development, Health, Education, Justice and Pacific Island Affairs; the former Ministry of Science Innovation and the former Department of Labour (now both part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment); the former Ministry of Women’s Affairs (now the Ministry for Women); the Department of Corrections; the Families Commission (now known as the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit); Te Puni Kokiri; New Zealand Police; Sport New Zealand; the Housing New Zealand Corporation; and the former Mental Health Commission, The University of Auckland and Auckland UniServices Limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Longitudinal Research—He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    S D Berry, C G Walker, K Ly, D Bandara, J Mohal, T G Castro, E J Marks, S M B Morton & C C Grant

  2. School of Biological Sciences, Centre For Brain Research University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    R G Snell

  3. National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    P E Atatoa Carr

  4. Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    C C Grant

  5. Starship Children’s Hospital, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand

    C C Grant

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  1. S D Berry
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  2. C G Walker
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  3. K Ly
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  9. E J Marks
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  10. S M B Morton
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  11. C C Grant
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Correspondence to S D Berry.

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Berry, S., Walker, C., Ly, K. et al. Widespread prevalence of a CREBRF variant amongst Māori and Pacific children is associated with weight and height in early childhood. Int J Obes 42, 603–607 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.230

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