Family structure and childhood obesity: results of the IDEFICS Project. Issue 10 (20th September 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Formisano, Annarita; Hunsberger, Monica; Bammann, Karin; Vanaelst, Barbara; Molnar, Dénes; Moreno, Luis A; Tornaritis, Michael; Veidebaum, Toomas; Lissner, Lauren; Barba, Gianvincenzo; Siani, Alfonso
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 17:Issue 10(2014)
• Page Start: 2307
• Page End: 2315
• Publication Date: 2013-09-20
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980013002474
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="abs1" sec-type="general"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To analyse the association between family structure and adiposity in children.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs2" sec-type="general"> <title>Design</title> <p>Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study cohort.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs3" sec-type="general"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Primary schools and kindergartens.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs4" sec-type="subjects"> <title>Subjects</title> <p>Children (<italic>n</italic> 12 350; aged 7·9 (<sc>sd</sc> 1·8) years) for the cross-sectional analysis and children (<italic>n</italic> 5236; at baseline: normal weight, aged 5·9 (<sc>sd</sc> 1·8) years) for the longitudinal study underwent anthropometry. Family structure was analysed as (i) number and type of cohabiting adults and (ii) number of siblings.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs5" sec-type="results"> <title>Results</title> <p>In the cross-sectional analysis, after controlling for covariates, children living with grandparents had significantly higher BMI <italic>Z</italic>-score than those living with both parents (0·63; 95 % CI 0·33, 0·92 <italic>v</italic>. 0·19; 95 % CI 0·17, 0·22; <italic>P</italic> < 0·01); in addition, the higher the number of siblings, the lower the BMI <italic>Z</italic>-score (only child = 0·31; 95 % CI 0·24, 0·38; 1 sibling = 0·19; 95 % CI 0·16, 0·23; 2 siblings = 0·15; 95 % CI 0·09, 0·20; >2 siblings = 0·07, 95 % CI 0·04, 0·19; <italic>P</italic> < 0·001). Over the 2-year follow-up, differences in weight gain were observed across family-structure categories. Further, the risk of incidence of overweight/obesity was significantly lower the higher the number of siblings living in the household (<italic>v</italic>. only child: 1 sibling = 0·74, 95 % CI 0·57, 0·96; 2 siblings = 0·63, 95 % CI 0·45, 0·88; >2 siblings = 0·40, 95 % CI 0·21, 0·77), independently of confounders.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs6" sec-type="conclusion"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The study suggests that an independent association between family structure and childhood obesity exists.</p> </sec> </abstract>