The biological and social determinants of childhood obesity: comparison of 2 cohorts 50 years apart

Robinson, N., McKay, J. A., Pearce, M. S., Albani, V., Wright, C. M. , Adamson, A. J. and Brown, H. (2021) The biological and social determinants of childhood obesity: comparison of 2 cohorts 50 years apart. Journal of Pediatrics, 228, 138-146.e5. (doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.09.031) (PMID:32949578)

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether the same relationships between early life risk factors and socioeconomic status with childhood BMI are observed in a modern cohort (2000) compared with an historic cohort (1947). Study design: The relationships between early life factors and SES with childhood BMI were examined in two prospective birth cohorts from the same region, born 50 years apart: 711 children in the 1947 Newcastle Thousand Families Study (NTFS) and 475 from the 2000 Gateshead Millennium Study (GMS). The associations between birthweight, breastfeeding, rapid infancy growth (0-12 months), early life adversity (0-12 months) and parental SES (birth and childhood) with childhood BMI z-scores, and whether overweight/obese (BMI >91 st centile using UK 1990) aged 9 were examined using linear regression, path analyses and logistic regression. Results: In the NTFS, the most advantaged children were taller than the least (+0.91 height z-score, P = .001), whereas in GMS they had lower odds of overweight/obese than the least (0.35 (0.14, 0.86)). Rapid infancy growth was associated with increased BMIz in both cohorts, and with increased likelihood of overweight/obese in GMS. Conclusions: This suggests that children exposed to socioeconomic disadvantage or who have rapid infancy growth in modern environments are now at lower risk of growth restriction, but greater risk of overweight.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Supported by a BBSRC doctoral training partnership studentship. The first 15 years of the Newcastle Thousand families study was jointly funded by Newcastle City Health Department, the City Health Committee and the Nuffield Foundation. Support for the Gateshead Millennium Study was provided by: the Henry Smith Charity and Sport Aiding Research in Kids (SPARKS), the Gateshead NHS Trust R&D, Northern and Yorkshire NHS R&D, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust, the National Prevention Research Initiative (incorporating funding from British Heart Foundation; Cancer Research UK; Department of Health; Diabetes UK; Economic and Social Research Council; Food Standards Agency; Medical Research Council; Research and Development Office for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services; Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health Directorates; Welsh Assembly Government and World Cancer Research Fund), the Children’s Foundation and the Scottish Government Health Directorates Chief Scientist Office.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Wright, Professor Charlotte
• Authors: Robinson, N., McKay, J. A., Pearce, M. S., Albani, V., Wright, C. M., Adamson, A. J., and Brown, H.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: Journal of Pediatrics
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0022-3476
• ISSN (Online): 1097-6833
• Published Online: 16 September 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
• First Published: First published in Journal of Pediatrics 228: 138-146.e5
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy