title: The role of dairy products and milk in adolescent obesity: evidence from Hong Kong's "Children of 1997" birth cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Observational studies, mainly from Western populations, suggest dairy consumption is inversely associated with adiposity. However, in these populations the intake range is limited and both diet and obesity may share social patterning. Evidence from non-Western developed settings with different social patterning, is valuable in distinguishing whether observed associations are biologically mediated or socially confounded.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the associations of milk or other dairy product consumption with adolescent obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used multivariable linear regression models to examine the associations of milk or other dairy product consumption, obtained from a food frequency questionnaire, at 11 years with body mass index (BMI) z-scores at 13 years and waist hip ratio (WHR) at 11 years, in 5,968 adolescents from a Chinese birth cohort, comprising 88% of births in April and May 1997. We used multiple imputation for missing exposures and confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 65.7% regularly consumed milk and 72.4% other dairy products. Milk and other dairy product consumption was positively associated with socio-economic position but not with BMI z-score or WHR, with or without adjustment for sex, mother's birthplace, parental education, physical activity and other food consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of association of milk and other dairy product consumption with adiposity in a non-Western setting was not consistent with the majority of evidence from Western settings. Observed anti-obesigenic effects in Western settings may be due to socially patterned confounding.
authors.affiliation: Lifestyle and Life Course Epidemiology Group, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shi Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarrant
authors.forename: Lai Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Man Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Tai Hing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Gabriel M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: C Mary
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schooling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio