Do self- or parent-reported dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors predict worsening obesity in children?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether information gathered during routine healthcare visits regarding obesity related risk factors and risk behaviors predicts increases in BMI z-score over time among overweight and obese children.


METHODS
Medical records from 168 overweight and 441 obese patients seen for repeated visits between September 2003 and April 2006 were examined for reported dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors, family history of obesity and diabetes mellitus, documented Acanthosis nigricans, and BMI values. Random-effects regression analysis was done to determine whether demographic, familial, or behavioral data predicted changes in BMI z-score over time.


RESULTS
The presence of A nigricans and a family history of obesity were associated with an increase in BMI z-score (beta=0.56, SE=0.09, P<.001 and beta=0.31, SE=0.13, P=.021). These risk factors explained 8% and 7% of the variation in BMI z-score respectively. Self- or parent-reported dietary and physical activity behaviors did not predict change in BMI z-score.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the risk factors and self- or parent-reported risk behaviors routinely assessed by pediatric clinicians have limited ability to predict future growth trends, demonstrating the difficulty in determining which patients have the greatest risk of progression of obesity.
Dorsey
Karen B
KB
Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, and Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA. karen.dorsey@yale.edu
Mauldon
Maria
M
Magraw
Ruth
R
Yu
Sunkyung
S
Krumholz
Harlan M
HM
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors