Predictors of overweight and obesity in five to seven-year-old children in Germany: results from cross-sectional studies.
BACKGROUND
Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem and epidemiological studies are important to identify predictive factors. It is the aim of this study to analyse factors associated with overweight/obesity in samples of German children.


METHODS
35,434 five to seven year-old children (50.9% boys) participated in cross-sectional studies between 1991 and 2000 in several rural and urban areas in East and West Germany. Weight and height were measured and body mass index was calculated. International cut-off points, recommended by the International Obesity Task Force, were used to classify childhood overweight and obesity. Predictive modelling was employed to analyse independently associated factors, using logistic regression to adjust for confounding.


RESULTS
15.5% were overweight, and 4.3% were obese. Female sex, other than German nationality, smoking in the living place and increasing birth weight were found to increase the odds of overweight and obesity, while increasing educational level, living space > 75 m2 and breastfeeding for more than three months were inversely associated.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings add to the evidence informing public health action, both through health promotion strategies (promoting breastfeeding, tackling smoking) and wider societal change management (addressing children from migrant families and families with low educational level).
Apfelbacher
Christian J
CJ
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Keppel Street, London WC1E, UK. christian.apfelbacher@web.de
Loerbroks
Adrian
A
Cairns
John
J
Behrendt
Heidrun
H
Ring
Johannes
J
Krämer
Ursula
U
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution