Growth from birth to adulthood and abdominal obesity in a Brazilian birth cohort.
BACKGROUND
Rapid weight gain in childhood may increase the risk of chronic adult diseases. Few studies have examined the effects of lifecourse weight gain on waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of birthweight and weight gain from birth to age 23 years on WC, HC, and WHR in young adults.


METHODS
Population-based birth cohort study started in 1982. A sample of 856 individuals was examined in 2006. Conditional growth analyses were carried out with adjustment for confounders. WC and HC were also mutually adjusted.


RESULTS
Weight gains during all age ranges studied (birthweight, 0-2, 2-4, 4-15, 15-18/19, and 18/19-23 years) were positively associated with WC and HC in both sexes. These effects were strongest from 4 to 15 years range (beta = 5.0 cm for both circumferences). Proxies for visceral adipose tissue (WHR and WC adjusted for HC) were associated with weight gain after 2 years in females and after 4 years in males. Subcutaneous adipose and muscular tissues, assessed by HC adjusted for WC, were associated with birthweight and weight gain from 0 to 2 years in both sexes, and again with weight gains from 4 to 18 years in males and 4 to 15 years in females.


CONCLUSIONS
Weight gains in utero and in the first 2 years had long-term effects on HC, but weight gain after age 4 years was strongly associated with WC. Weight gains up to age 2 years may reduce cardiovascular risk associated with adult fat patterns in a middle-income setting.
Department of Social Medicine, Post-graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil. david.epidemio@gmail.com
D A
DA
González
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A
Nazmi
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CG
Victora
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult