title: Social class variation in the predictors of rapid growth in infancy and obesity at age 3 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the extent to which early child nutrition, maternal antenatal lifestyle behaviours and child diet and lifestyle explain social class inequalities in the risk of rapid weight gain between birth and 3 years and obesity at age 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal and prospective birth cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationally representative sample of 11,134 children and their parents followed from 9 months of age until 3 years. Child weight and maternal height and weight were measured at 9 months and 3 years and child birth weight was extracted from hospital records. Other predictors of child growth and obesity were collected by maternal report at 9 months and 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although born lighter on average, children of unskilled manual parents were 274 g heavier than children of professional parents by 3 years of age. The fully adjusted model of rapid growth from birth to 3 years of age and obesity at 3 years of age accounted for all social class differentials. Breastfeeding and age at the introduction of solids were associated with the largest average reduction (41%) in the odds ratio (OR) of rapid growth in the first 9 months of life for each class relative to the professional class. In the period from 9 months to 3 years of age, the class differential in rapid growth was reduced most by measures of the child's diet and lifestyle. However, the impact of the groups of predictors varied by social class. For early life growth, among the non-manual classes the proportionate reductions are largest when adjusted for early infant nutrition, whereas maternal prenatal smoking is more important for the manual social classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preventative interventions to reduce levels of childhood obesity should be multi-dimensional but different dimensions should be given more or less significance depending on socio-economic group.
authors: 1] Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin 2, Ireland [2] Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Layte
authors: Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bennett
authors: Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: McCrory
authors: Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kearney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D016017:Odds Ratio; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012923:Social Class; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 Oct;14(10):1846-53
references: 17062816
references: Pediatr Res. 2002 Dec;52(6):863-7
references: 12438662
references: Arch Dis Child. 2005 Oct;90(10):999-1004
references: 15956046
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997 Jul;21(7):507-26
references: 9226480
references: BMJ. 2000 Apr 8;320(7240):967-71
references: 10753147
references: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2012 Nov;40(8):1277-88
references: 22552625
references: JAMA. 2012 Feb 1;307(5):483-90
references: 22253364
references: Pediatrics. 2009 Apr;123(4):1177-83
references: 19336378
references: Prev Med. 1993 Mar;22(2):167-77
references: 8483856
references: BMJ. 2005 Oct 22;331(7522):929
references: 16227306
references: Am J Epidemiol. 2002 Nov 15;156(10):954-61
references: 12419768
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011 Jun;6(2-2):e423-32
references: 21114457
references: Eur J Epidemiol. 2011 May;26(5):413-20
references: 21360298
references: BMJ. 2005 Jun 11;330(7504):1357
references: 15908441
references: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(3):CD001872
references: 12917914
references: Br J Nutr. 2010 Nov;104(10):1544-54
references: 20598218
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2006;1(1):11-25
references: 17902211
references: BMJ. 2000 May 6;320(7244):1240-3
references: 10797032
references: Obes Rev. 2005 May;6(2):143-54
references: 15836465
references: J Perinat Med. 2003;31(3):251-6
references: 12825482
references: Arch Dis Child. 2009 Aug;94(8):577-82
references: 19019884
references: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Apr;196(4):322.e1-8
references: 17403405
references: Bull World Health Organ. 1987;65(5):663-737
references: 3322602
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Oct;84(4):707-16
references: 17023695
references: J Hum Lact. 2011 Aug;27(3):262-71
references: 21788655
references: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011 Nov;165(11):993-8
references: 22065180
references: Health Econ. 2004 Oct;13(10):1031-44
references: 15386689
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011 Oct;6(5-6):342-60
references: 21838570
references: Psychol Bull. 1989 Mar;105(2):260-75
references: 2648443
references: Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Jan;34(1):41-7
references: 19884892
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Nov;28(11):1494-502
references: 15326465
references: Am J Hum Biol. 2007 Sep-Oct;19(5):615-21
references: 17636526
references: Pediatrics. 2004 Jun;113(6):e617-27
references: 15173545
references: Nestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program. 2010;65:13-20; discussion 20-4
references: 20139671
references: Soc Sci Med. 2012 Jul;75(2):323-30
references: 22560796
references: Obes Res. 2003 Mar;11(3):457-60
references: 12634445
references: Lancet. 2003 Mar 29;361(9363):1089-97
references: 12672313