| 1. |
- Ahrens, W, et al.
(author)
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The IDEFICS cohort: design, characteristics and participations in the baseline survey.
- 2011
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In: International Journal of Obesity. - 1476-5497. ; 35:suppl 1, s. 3-15
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The European IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study was set up to determine the aetiology of overweight, obesity and related disorders in children, and to develop and evaluate a tailored primary prevention programme. OBJECTIVE: This paper focuses on the aetiological element of the multicentre study, the measures and examinations, sociodemographic characteristics of the study sample and proportions of participation. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with an embedded intervention study that started with a baseline survey in eight countries in 2007-2008. SUBJECTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Baseline participants of the prospective cohort study were 16,224 children aged 2-9 years. Parents reported sociodemographic, behavioural, medical, nutritional and other lifestyle data for their children and families. Examinations of children included anthropometry, blood pressure, fitness, accelerometry, DNA from saliva and physiological markers in blood and urine. The built environment, sensory taste perception and other mechanisms of children's food choices and consumer behaviour were studied in subgroups. RESULTS: Between 1507 and 2567, children with a mean age of 6.0 years and an even sex distribution were recruited from each country. Of them, 82% lived in two-parent families. The distribution of standardised income levels differed by study sample, with low-income groups being strongly represented in Cyprus, Italy and Germany. At least one 24-h dietary recall was obtained for two-thirds of the children. Blood pressure and anthropometry were assessed in more than 90%. A 3-day accelerometry was performed in 46%, motor fitness was assessed in 41%, cardiorespiratory fitness in 35% and ∼11% participated in taste perception tests. The proportion of children donating venous blood, urine and saliva was 57, 86 and 88%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The IDEFICS cohort provides valuable data to investigate the interplay of social, environmental, genetic, physiological and behavioural factors in the development of major diet- and lifestyle-related disorders affecting children at present.
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| 2. |
- Bammann, K., et al.
(author)
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Socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight in Europe : results from the multi-centre IDEFICS study
- 2013
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In: Pediatric Obesity. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 2047-6302 .- 2047-6310. ; 8:1, s. 1-12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- What is already known about this subject Overweight and obesity can be linked to different parental socioeconomic factors already in very young children. In Western developed countries, the association of childhood overweight and obesity and parental socioeconomic status shows a negative gradient. Ambiguous results have been obtained regarding the association between socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight and obesity in different countries and over time. What this study adds European regions show heterogeneous associations between socioeconomic factors and overweight and obesity in a multi-centre study with highly standardized study protoco. The strength of association between SES and overweight and obesity varies across European regions. In our study, the SES gradient is correlated with the regional mean income and the country-specific Human development index indicating a strong influence not only of the family but also of region and country on the overweight and obesity prevalence. Objective To assess the association between different macro- and micro-level socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight. Methods Data from the IDEFICS baseline survey is used to investigate the cross-sectional association between socioeconomic factors, like socioeconomic status (SES), and the prevalence of childhood overweight. Differences and similarities regarding this relationship in eight European regions (located in Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden) are explored. 11?994 children (50.9% boys, 49.1% girls) and their parents were included in the analyses. Results In five of the eight investigated regions (in Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Spain and Sweden), the prevalence of childhood overweight followed an inverse SES gradient. In the other three regions (in Cyprus, Hungary and Italy), no association between SES and childhood overweight was found. The SES-overweight association in a region was best explained by the country-specific human development index and the centre-specific mean income. For the investigated association between other socioeconomic factors and overweight, no clear pattern could be found in the different regions. Conclusion The association between socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight was shown to be heterogeneous across different European regions. Further research on nationwide European data is needed to confirm the results and to identify target groups for prevention.
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| 3. |
- Bammann, K., et al.
(author)
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The impact of familial, behavioural and psychosocial factors on the SES gradient for childhood overweight in Europe. A longitudinal study
- 2017
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In: International Journal of Obesity. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0307-0565 .- 1476-5497. ; 41:1, s. 54-60
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In highly developed countries, childhood overweight and many overweight-related risk factors are negatively associated with socioeconomic status (SES). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the longitudinal association between parental SES and childhood overweight, and to clarify whether familial, psychosocial or behavioural factors can explain any SES gradient. METHODS: The baseline and follow-up surveys of the identification and prevention of dietary and lifestyle induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) study are used to investigate the longitudinal association between SES, familial, psychosocial and behavioural factors, and the prevalence of childhood overweight. A total of 5819 children (50.5% boys and 49.5% girls) were included. RESULTS: The risk for being overweight after 2 years at follow-up in children who were non-overweight at baseline increases with a lower SES. For children who were initially overweight, a lower parental SES carries a lower probability for a non-overweight weight status at follow-up. The effect of parental SES is only moderately attenuated by single familial, psychosocial or behavioural factors; however, it can be fully explained by their combined effect. Most influential of the investigated risk factors were feeding/eating practices, parental body mass index, physical activity behaviour and proportion of sedentary activity. CONCLUSION: Prevention strategies for childhood overweight should focus on actual behaviours, whereas acknowledging that these behaviours are more prevalent in lower SES families.
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| 4. |
- Boernhorst, C., et al.
(author)
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Validity of 24-h recalls in (pre-)school aged children : Comparison of proxy-reported energy intakes with measured energy expenditure
- 2014
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In: Clinical Nutrition. - : CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE. - 0261-5614 .- 1532-1983. ; 33:1, s. 79-84
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background & aims: Little is known about the validity of repeated 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDR) as a measure of total energy intake (El) in young children. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of proxy-reported El by comparison with total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique. Methods: The agreement between El and TEE was investigated in 36 (47.2% boys) children aged 4-10 years from Belgium and Spain using subgroup analyses and Bland-Altman plots. Low-energy-reporters (LER), adequate-energy-reporters (AER) and high-energy-reporters (HER) were defined from the ratio of El over TEE by application of age- and sex-specific cut-off values. Results: There was good agreement between means of El (1500 kcal/day) and TEE (1523 kcal/day) at group level though in single children, i.e. at the individual level, large differences were observed. Almost perfect agreement between El and TEE was observed in thin/normal weight children (EI: 1511 kcal/day; TEE: 1513 kcal/day). Even in overweight/obese children the mean difference between El and TEE was only 86 kcal/day. Among the participants, 28(78%) were classified as AER, five (14%) as HER and three (8%) as LER. Conclusion: Two proxy-reported 24-HDRs were found to be a valid instrument to assess El on group level but not on the individual level. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Bornhorst, C., et al.
(author)
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Early Life Factors and Inter-Country Heterogeneity in BMI Growth Trajectories of European Children: The IDEFICS Study
- 2016
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In: Plos One. - San Francisco : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Starting from birth, this explorative study aimed to investigate between-country differences in body mass index (BMI) trajectories and whether early life factors explain these differences. The sample included 7,644 children from seven European countries (Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden) participating in the multi-centre IDEFICS study. Information on early life factors and in total 53,409 repeated measurements of height and weight from 0 to <12 years of age were collected during the baseline (2007/2008) and follow-up examination (2009/2010) supplemented by records of routine child health visits. Country-specific BMI growth curves were estimated using fractional polynomial mixed effects models. Several covariates focussing on early life factors were added to the models to investigate their role in the between-countries differences. Large between-country differences were observed with Italian children showing significantly higher mean BMI values at all ages >= 3 years compared to the other countries. For instance, at age 11 years mean BMI values in Italian boys and girls were 22.3 [21.9; 22.8; 99% confidence interval] and 22.0 [21.5; 22.4], respectively, compared to a range of 18.4 [18.1; 18.8] to 20.3 [19.8; 20.7] in boys and 18.2 [17.8; 18.6] to 20.3 [19.8; 20.7] in girls in the other countries. After adjustment for early life factors, differences between country-specific BMI curves became smaller. Maternal BMI was the factor being most strongly associated with BMI growth (p<0.01 in all countries) with associations increasing during childhood. Gestational weight gain (GWG) was weakly associated with BMI at birth in all countries. In some countries, positive associations between BMI growth and children not being breastfed, mothers' smoking during pregnancy and low educational level of parents were found. Early life factors seem to explain only some of the inter-country variation in growth. Maternal BMI showed the strongest association with children's BMI growth.
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| 6. |
- De Henauw, S., et al.
(author)
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Effects of a community-oriented obesity prevention programme on indicators of body fatness in preschool and primary school children. Main results from the IDEFICS study
- 2015
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In: Obesity Reviews. - : Wiley. - 1467-7881. ; 16:Suppl. 2, s. 16-29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background/ObjectivesChildhood obesity is a major public health concern but evidence-based approaches to tackle this epidemic sustainably are still lacking. The Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS) study investigated the aetiology of childhood obesity and developed a primary prevention programme. Here, we report on the effects of the IDEFICS intervention on indicators of body fatness. Subjects/MethodsThe intervention modules addressed the community, school and parental level, focusing on diet, physical activity and stress-related lifestyle factors. A cohort of 16,228 children aged 2-9.9years - about 2000 per country - was equally divided over intervention and control regions. (Participating countries were Sweden, Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Cyprus, Italy, Spain and Belgium.) We compared the prevalence of overweight/obesity and mean values of body mass index z-score, per cent body fat and waist-to-height ratio over 2years of follow-up. Mixed models adjusting for age and socioeconomic status of the parents and with an additional random effect for country accounted for the clustered study design. ResultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in both the intervention and control group from 18.0% at baseline to 22.9% at follow-up in the control group and from 19.0% to 23.6% in the intervention group. The difference in changes between control and intervention was not statistically significant. For the cohort as a whole, the changes in indicators of body fatness did not show any clinically relevant differences between the intervention and control groups. Changes in favour of intervention treatment in some indicators were counterbalanced by changes in favour of the control group in some other indicators. ConclusionsOver the 2-year-observation period, the IDEFICS primary prevention programme for childhood obesity has not been successful in reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity nor in improving indicators of body fatness in the target population as a whole.
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| 7. |
- De Henauw, S, et al.
(author)
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The IDEFICS community-oriented intervention programme: a new model for childhood obesity prevention in Europe?
- 2011
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In: International journal of obesity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-5497 .- 0307-0565. ; 35:Suppl 1, s. S16-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The European Union-as well as other parts of the world-faces a major challenge of increasing incidence of overweight/obesity. In particular, the increase in childhood obesity gives rise to a strong imperative for immediate action. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of community interventions, and further research in this field is needed. There is, however, a growing consensus that such research should start from the paradigm that the current living environments tend to counteract healthy lifestyles. Questioning these environments thoroughly can help to develop new pathways for sustainable health-promoting communities. Against this background, the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study developed and implemented innovative community-oriented intervention programmes for obesity prevention and healthy lifestyle primarily in children aged 2-10 years in eight European countries: Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Cyprus.
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| 8. |
- Hunsberger, Monica, et al.
(author)
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Bidirectional associations between psychosocial well-being and body mass index in European children: longitudinal findings from the IDEFICS study
- 2016
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In: Bmc Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The negative impact of childhood overweight on psychosocial well-being has been demonstrated in a number of studies. There is also evidence that psychosocial well-being may influence future overweight. We examined the bidirectional association between childhood overweight and psychosocial well-being in children from a large European cohort. The dual aim was to investigate the chronology of associations between overweight and psychosocial health indicators and the extent to which these associations may be explained by parental education. Methods: Participants from the IDEFICS study were recruited from eight countries between September 2007 and June 2008 when the children were aged 2 to 9.9 years old. Children and families provided data on lifestyle, psychosocial well-being, and measured anthropometry at baseline and at follow-up 2 years later. This study includes children with weight, height, and psychosocial well-being measurements at both time points (n = 7,831). Psychosocial well-being was measured by the KINDL (R) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire respectively. The first instrument measures health-related quality of life including emotional well-being, self-esteem, parent relations and social relations while the second measures well-being based on emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer-related problems. Logistic regression was used for modeling longitudinal associations. Results: Children who were overweight at baseline had increased risk of poor health-related quality of life (odds ratio (OR) = 1.23; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.48) measured 2 years later; this association was unidirectional. In contrast to health-related quality of life, poor well-being at baseline was associated with increased risk of overweight (OR = 1.39; 95 % CI: 1.03-1.86) at 2 year follow-up; this association was also only observed in one direction. Adjustment for parental education did not change our findings. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the association between overweight and psychosocial well-being may be bidirectional but varies by assessment measures. Future research should further investigate which aspects of psychosocial well-being are most likely to precede overweight and which are more likely to be consequences of overweight.
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| 9. |
- Hunsberger, Monica, et al.
(author)
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Overweight in singletons compared to children with siblings: the IDEFICS study.
- 2012
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In: Nutrition and diabetes. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2044-4052. ; 2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of overweight in only children to those with siblings and to explore potential behavioral mediating factors. This study relies upon cross-sectional data collected at survey centers in eight European countries participating in Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS). The present analysis is based on measured anthropometry and parent or guardian-reported socio-demographic characteristics. Subjects include 12 720 children aged 2–9 years for whom number of siblings was known. Singletons were more likely (odds ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.34–1.72) to be overweight than their peers with siblings when controlling for factors related to childhood overweight, including survey country, parental education, parental weight, maternal age, child's age, birth weight and gender. The three southernmost countries have over threefold risk of overweight, dominated by Italy, compared with the north-central countries, which is not explained by the prevalence of singleton children. The excess risk of overweight among children without siblings was robustly observed even when considering behavioral mediating factors (playtime, screen time per day, dietary propensities for sugar or fat, parental attitudes towards food rewards and television in the child's bedroom). Among singletons aged 6–9 years, the excess risk of overweight was 1.70 (95% CI: 1.44–2.01) compared with 1.32 (95% CI: 1.10–1.60) in younger singletons.
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| 10. |
- Iguacel, I., et al.
(author)
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Prospective associations between social vulnerabilities and children's weight status. Results from the IDEFICS study
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Obesity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0307-0565 .- 1476-5497. ; 42:10, s. 1691-1703
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background/objectives In high-income countries, childhood obesity follows a clear socioeconomic gradient with greater prevalence in children with lower socioeconomic status (SES). The extent to which the trend of other social vulnerabilities over time and the accumulation of these vulnerabilities can affect children's weight is still unknown. Subjects/methods In the IDEFICS study, 8624 children aged 2.0-9.9 years from eight European countries were examined at baseline and after 2 years. Sociodemographic variables, maternal body mass index (BMI), and lifestyle were reported by parents. Children were measured and classified as thin, normal weight, and overweight/obese using the extended IOTF criteria. Four vulnerable groups were defined: children whose parents were migrants, children whose parents lack a social network, children from non-traditional families (children not living with both biological parents), and children with unemployed parents. Logistic mixed-effects models were used to study the association between vulnerabilities and children's weight at baseline and follow-up, temporal trends in vulnerabilities and children's weight and accumulation of vulnerabilities and children's weight. Models were adjusted for lifestyle, maternal BMI, parental education, and income. Results Children whose parents lost their social support at follow-up were more likely to be thin than non-vulnerable children (OR = 1.69, 99% CI = 1.03-2.78). Children whose parents had a migrant background (OR = 1.30, 99% CI 1.04-1.62), children from non-traditional families at both time points (OR = 1.40, 99% CI 1.03-1.90) and whose parents were unemployed at baseline and follow-up (OR = 2.03, 99% CI 1.03-3.99) were more likely to be overweight/obese compared to non-vulnerable children. Cross-sectionally, we did not find an association between parental lack of network, non-traditional family structure, or employment and children's weight status. Conclusions Policy actions are required to tackle inadequate weight loss and gain among vulnerable children (especially those exposed over the long term) since they are at a higher risk of thinness and overweight.
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