The stability of weight status through the early to middle childhood years in Australia: a longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the sociodemographic and behavioural factors associated with incidence, persistence or remission of obesity in a longitudinal sample of Australian children aged 4-10 years.


METHODS
Nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).


METHODS
The sample for this analysis included all children in the Kinder cohort (aged 4-5 years at wave 1) who participated in all four waves of LSAC (wave 1, 2004, aged 4-5 years; wave 2, 2006, aged 6-7 years; wave 3, 2008, aged 8-9 years and wave 4, 2010, aged 10-11 years). Of the 4983 children who participated in the baseline (wave 1) survey, 4169 (83.7%) children completed all four waves of data collection.


METHODS
Movement of children between weight status categories over time and individual-level predictors of weight status change (sociodemographic characteristics, selected dietary and activity behaviours).


RESULTS
The study found tracking of weight status across this period of childhood. There was an inverse association observed between socioeconomic position and persistence of overweight/obesity. Sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit and vegetable intake and screen time appeared to be important predictors of stronger tracking.


CONCLUSIONS
Overweight and obesity established early in childhood tracks strongly to the middle childhood years in Australia, particularly among children of lower socioeconomic position and children participating in some unhealthy behaviour patterns.
Faculty of Health, WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Nikita
N
Wheaton
Faculty of Health, WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Lynne
L
Millar
Faculty of Health, WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Steven
S
Allender
Faculty of Health, WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Melanie
M
Nichols
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Tracking; early childhood; longitudinal; socio-demographic and behavioural factors; weight status