Family structure and childhood obesity: results of the IDEFICS project

• Objective: To analyze the association between family structure and adiposity in children. Design: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study cohort. Setting: Primary schools and kindergartens. Subjects: Children (n 12 350; aged 7 to 9 (SD 1.8) years) for the cross-sectional analysis and children (n 5236; at baseline: normal weight, aged 5 to 9 (SD 1.8) years) for the longitudinal study underwent anthropometry. Family structure was analyzed as (i) number and type of cohabiting adults and (ii) number of siblings. Results: In the cross-sectional analysis, after controlling for covariates, children living with grandparents had significantly higher BMI Z-score than those living with both parents (0.63; 95% CI 0.33, 0.92 v. 0.19; 95% CI 0.17, 0.22; P,0.01); in addition, the higher the number of siblings, the lower the BMI Z-score (only child 50.31; 95% CI 0.24, 0.38; 1 sibling 50.19; 95% CI 0.16, 0.23; 2 siblings 50.15; 95% CI 0.09, 0.20; >2 siblings 50.07, 95% CI 0.04, 0.19;P,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 (v. only child: 1 sibling 50.74, 95% CI 0.57, 0.96; 2 siblings 50.63, 95% CI 0.45, 0.88; >2 siblings 50.40, 95% CI 0.21, 0.77), independently of confounders. Conclusions: The study suggests that an independent association between family structure and childhood obesity exists.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

childhood obesity

family structure

IDEFICS

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)