Food, activity and family--environmental vs biochemical predictors of weight gain in children.
OBJECTIVE
To identify whether measures of energy intake and expenditure predict excessive weight gain over time in children and to describe how these measures relate to similar measures in parents.


METHODS
Prospective, descriptive study over 12 months with no intervention.


METHODS
University teaching hospital.


METHODS
Children aged between 6.0 and 9.0 y. Recruitment was through advertisement. A total of 59 children (30 F), 41 mothers and 29 fathers. In all, 41 (69%) of the children were reviewed at 12 months (20 F).


RESULTS
No significant correlations were identified between body mass index (BMI) z-score change in children over 12 months for any dietary variable or for any measures of energy expenditure, including hours of television viewing or percent time spent in low-, moderate- or high-intensity activity. The BMI z-score change over 12 months was significantly correlated with LDL cholesterol and Apo B/ApoA-1 ratio, independent of percent body fat (r=0.45, P=0.01; r=0.37, P=0.03). A significant positive correlation was found for mothers and girls for percent time in moderate to high activity (r=0.44, P=0.03) and between fathers and children for percent time spent in low activity (r=0.43, P=0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
The study has been unable to identify environmental predictors that indicate propensity to faster weight gain over time in this cohort of children, but has extended the evidence on lifestyle-influenced biochemical predictors that do. An overall lack of vigorous activity in this age group, and correlations between parental and child activity and inactivity have been identified.
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002153:Calorimetry, Indirect; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013690:Television; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D008055:Lipids