Predictor factors for childhood obesity in a Spanish case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify and characterize factors associated with childhood obesity risk related to lifestyle and perinatal life influences (dietary pattern, physical activity, family history of obesity, breast-feeding, sedentary behavior, and birth weight) in a case-control study design.


METHODS
Cases were 185 obese (body mass index >97th percentile) children and adolescents (6-18 y old) from the Navarra region of Spain and control subjects were matched by sex and age. Anthropometric data were collected, and a personal interview about lifestyle parameters (dietary patterns, physical activity, family history of obesity, breast-feeding and sedentary behaviors) was performed with each participant. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify predictive factors of obesity.


RESULTS
Leisure time physical activity proved to be a protector factor against obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.96), whereas family history of obesity (OR 4.18, 95% CI 2.20-8.62), watching television (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.09-3.77), and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.05-2.89) were associated with a higher obesity risk.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that leisure time physical activity, family history of obesity, watching television, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption are important predictive variables for childhood obesity, whereas other factors including breast-feeding, birth weight, and time spent sleeping did not appear to play an important role in the development of childhood obesity.
Ochoa
María C
MC
Department of Physiology and Nutrition, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Moreno-Aliaga
María J
MJ
Martínez-González
Miguel A
MA
Martínez
J Alfredo
JA
Marti
Amelia
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D001628:Beverages; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004032:Diet; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013690:Television
D019422:Dietary Sucrose