title: Preschoolers' parent-rated health disparities are strongly associated with measures of adiposity in the Lifeways cohort study children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between lifecourse factors from preschoolers' microecosystem and their parent-reported (mother-reported) health (PRH), following them prospectively from preconception to age 5 years. To investigate if preschoolers' body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were associated with preschoolers' PRH when controlled for lifecourse predictors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lifeways cross-generation cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 1082 families, 62% mothers responded on a health and lifestyle questionnaire at follow-up. Food frequency, BMI and waist circumference were measured. There were 547 family data sets available for analysis of children's PRH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mother-reported children's PRH at age 5. Associations with child's individual and familial exposures from preconception to age 5 years examined using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In univariate analysis, relatively positive rating of children's PRH were associated with children's lower intake of fats (OR (95% CI) 2.2 (1.1 to 4.3)), higher intake of fruits/vegetables (OR (95% CI) 2.2 (1.1 to 4.3)); as well as familial socioeconomic characteristics {higher household income (OR (95% CI) 3.0 (1.6 to 5.9)), non-entitlement to means-tested healthcare (OR (95% CI) 2.1 (1.0 to 4.3)), mothers' higher education (OR (95% CI) 1.9 (1.0 to 3.6))}, psychosocial characteristics {father's participation in study (OR (95% CI) 2.1 (1.0 to 4.3)), mothers' perceiving better support from partner (OR (95% CI) 2.3 (1.2 to 4.3)), children (OR (95% CI) 1.9 (1.0 to 3.7)) or relatives (OR (95% CI) 2.2 (1.1 to 4.1))}, parents' lifestyle {mothers' lower intake of energy (OR (95% CI) 2.2 (1.1 to 4.3)), fathers' non-smoking status (OR (95% CI) 2.2 (1.1 to 4.4))} and parents' health {mothers' self-rated health relatively positive (OR (95% CI) 5.1 (2.6 to 9.9)), fathers' self-rated health relatively positive (OR (95% CI) 3.0 (1.5 to 6.0))}. In multivariable analysis (χ(2)=34.2, df=21, N=303, R(2 )= 0.26, p<0.05), one of the two strong predictors of children's relatively positive PRH was child not being obese by International Obesity Task Force classification (OR (95% CI) 5.5 (1.4 to 21.0)), observed also using BMI (kg/m(2); OR (95% CI) 0.73 (0.58 to 0.93)) or waist circumference (cm; OR (95% CI) 0.89 (0.81 to 0.98)) as continuous variables. The other significant predictor was mothers' self-rated health relatively positive (OR (95% CI) 4.2 (1.5 to 12.2)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preschoolers' health is adversely associated with obesity and this is independent of lifecourse and social and environmental inequalities. The findings suggest that reducing childhood obesity and improving maternal health may be useful ways to improve child's global health.
authors: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.
authors: Aakash
authors: A
authors: Shrivastava
authors: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.
authors: Celine
authors: C
authors: Murrin
authors: School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.
authors: Cecily C
authors: CC
authors: Kelleher
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D015992:Body Mass Index; D000067576:Child Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: BMI; Lifecourse; obesity; preschool children; self-rated health; waist circumference