Abstract
BackgroundRapid weight gain (RWG) has been recognized as an important determinant of childhood obesity. This study aims to explore the RWG distribution among children at six-month intervals from birth to two years old and to examine the association of RWG in each interval with overweight or obesity development in preschool- and school-aged children.MethodsData were obtained from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study, which is a nationally representative sample of 24,200 children who participated in a face-to-face survey. A total of 17,002 children had complete data both for weight and height at each of the five measurement time periods. Multivariable logistic regression models quantified the relationship between RWG and childhood overweight or obesity.ResultsA total of 17.5% of children experienced rapid weight gain in the first six months of age, compared to only 1.8% of children from 18-24 months. RWG was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing overweight or obesity at 36 months (RWG birth-6 months: OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 2.3–2.8; RWG 18–24 months: OR = 3.7, 95% CI: 2.9–4.6), 66 months (RWG birth-6 months: OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 2.0–2.4; RWG 18–24 months: OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.8–2.8), and 8 years of age (RWG birth-6 months: OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.6–1.9; RWG 18–24 months: OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 2.0–3.0).ConclusionsChildhood RWG increased the risk of subsequent overweight or obesity, regardless of the specific time interval at which RWG occurred before the age of two years. The results reinforce the importance of monitoring childhood RWG continuously and show the risks of childhood RWG with respect to the development of overweight or obesity at preschool and school ages.
Highlights
Rapid weight gain (RWG) has been recognized as an important determinant of childhood obesity
A growing body of evidence indicates that childhood obesity increases the risk of obesity in adolescence and adulthood and the incidence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes, later in life [2, 3]
Two systematic reviews by Ong and Loos [7] and Zheng et al [8] reported that children with rapid weight gain (RWG) before the age of two were more likely to become overweight/obese than children without RWG, with adjusted odds ratios from 1.4 to 6.8
Summary
Rapid weight gain (RWG) has been recognized as an important determinant of childhood obesity. Two systematic reviews by Ong and Loos [7] and Zheng et al [8] reported that children with RWG before the age of two were more likely to become overweight/obese than children without RWG, with adjusted odds ratios from 1.4 to 6.8. Professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) [9] and the Institute of Health Visiting in the UK [10] have recognized that early RWG in children should be targeted to prevent childhood overweight and obesity and have recommended that parents and health care providers observe children’s growth patterns starting at birth
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