Abstract
ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to investigate the association between physical growth in preadult life with five outcomes at ages 64 to 76: weight, body mass index (BMI), estimated body fat percentage, hand grip strength, and mortality.MethodsSuper‐imposition by translation and rotation (SITAR) growth curves of 40 484 Guatemalan individuals aged 3 to 19 years were modeled for the parameters of size, timing and intensity (peak growth velocity, eg, cm/year) of height, weight, BMI, and grip strength. Associations between the SITAR parameters and old age outcomes were tested using linear and binary logistic regression for a follow‐up sample of high socioeconomic status (SES) Guatemalans, of whom 50 were aged 64 to 76 years at re‐measurement and 45 died prior to the year 2017.ResultsSITAR models explained 69% to 98% of the variance in each outcome, with height the most precise. Individuals in the follow‐up sample who had a higher BMI before the age of 20 years had higher estimated body fat (B = 1.4 CI −0.02‐2.8) and BMI (B = 1.2, CI 0.2‐2.2) at the ages of 64 to 76 years. Those who grew slower in height but faster in weight and BMI before the age of 20 years had higher BMI and body fat later in life.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of a life course perspective on health and mortality risk. Childhood exposures leading to variation in preadult growth may be key to better understanding health and mortality risks in old age.
Highlights
There are two key theoretical frameworks to explain associations between early human growth and health in later life
The Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) Study provides the opportunity to investigate patterns of physical growth in a country with broad social, economic, and ethnic diversity, with the highest prevalence of childhood growth faltering in Latin America, and shortest adult women in the world (NCD-RisC, 2016), and to follow up individuals for whom reliable growth data exist. They include boys and girls between the ages of 3.6 and 20 years, from very low to very high socioeconomic status (SES) families, measured between the years 1953 and 1999. We investigate whether their growth trajectories summarized by size, timing, and intensity in preadult life are associated with five old age outcomes––weight, body mass index (BMI), estimated body fat percentage, grip strength, and mortality–– in a follow-up sample of 50 high SES participants over 64 years old
The key finding of this 50-year follow-up study of high SES Guatemalans is that individuals who were larger during growth––taller, heavier, and with a higher BMI, had higher BMI and body fat at 64 to 76 years
Summary
There are two key theoretical frameworks to explain associations between early human growth and health in later life. The LEM focuses on critical periods of the life course and associated risk factors, broadly defined as determinants of healthy aging (Kuh, Richards, Cooper, Hardy, & Ben-Shlomo, 2014). This literature utilizes large cohort studies to model and identify early life predictors, later life risk factors, and disease outcomes. The LEM framework is closely related to the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, see Ben-Shlomo, Cooper, and Kuh (2016) for a review of key similarities and differences between the models
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
