title: Preschool weight and body mass index in relation to central obesity and metabolic syndrome in adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  If preschool measures of body size routinely collected at preventive health examinations are associated with adult central obesity and metabolic syndrome, a focused use of these data for the identification of high risk children is possible. The aim of this study was to test the associations between preschool weight and body mass index (BMI) and adult BMI, central obesity and metabolic alterations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) (N = 4111) is a population-based cohort. Preschool weight (age 5 months and 1 year) and BMI (age 2-5 years) were studied in relation to metabolic syndrome as well as BMI, waist circumference, lipoproteins, blood pressure, and fasting glucose at the age of 31 years. Linear regression models and generalized linear regression models with log link were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Throughout preschool ages, weight and BMI were significantly linearly associated with adult BMI and waist circumference. Preschool BMI was inversely associated with high-density lipoprotein levels from the age of 3 years. Compared with children in the lower half of the BMI range, the group of children with the 5% highest BMI at the age of 5 years had a relative risk of adult obesity of 6.2(95% CI:4.2-9.3), of adult central obesity of 2.4(95% CI:2.0-2.9), and of early onset adult metabolic syndrome of 2.5(95% CI:1.7-3.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High preschool BMI is consistently associated with adult obesity, central obesity and early onset metabolic syndrome. Routinely collected measures of body size in preschool ages can help to identify children in need of focused prevention due to their increased risk of adverse metabolic alterations in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Section for General Medical Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Graversen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg University Hospital, The Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thorkild I A
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Register-Based Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Liselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sovio
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaakinen
authors.affiliation: Section for General Medical Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Annelli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandbaek
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Primary Health Care Unit, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taanila
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouta
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Primary Health Care Unit, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; National Institute of Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marjo-Riitta
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Järvelin
authors.affiliation: Section for General Medical Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obel
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*