title: The Obesogenic Quality of the Home Environment: Associations with Diet, Physical Activity, TV Viewing, and BMI in Preschool Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The home environment is thought to play a key role in early weight trajectories, although direct evidence is limited. There is general agreement that multiple factors exert small individual effects on weight-related outcomes, so use of composite measures could demonstrate stronger effects. This study therefore examined whether composite measures reflecting the 'obesogenic' home environment are associated with diet, physical activity, TV viewing, and BMI in preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Families from the Gemini cohort (n = 1096) completed a telephone interview (Home Environment Interview; HEI) when their children were 4 years old. Diet, physical activity, and TV viewing were reported at interview. Child height and weight measurements were taken by the parents (using standard scales and height charts) and reported at interview. Responses to the HEI were standardized and summed to create four composite scores representing the food (sum of 21 variables), activity (sum of 6 variables), media (sum of 5 variables), and overall (food composite/21 + activity composite/6 + media composite/5) home environments. These were categorized into 'obesogenic risk' tertiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in 'higher-risk' food environments consumed less fruit (OR; 95% CI = 0.39; 0.27-0.57) and vegetables (0.47; 0.34-0.64), and more energy-dense snacks (3.48; 2.16-5.62) and sweetened drinks (3.49; 2.10-5.81) than children in 'lower-risk' food environments. Children in 'higher-risk' activity environments were less physically active (0.43; 0.32-0.59) than children in 'lower-risk' activity environments. Children in 'higher-risk' media environments watched more TV (3.51; 2.48-4.96) than children in 'lower-risk' media environments. Neither the individual nor the overall composite measures were associated with BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Composite measures of the obesogenic home environment were associated as expected with diet, physical activity, and TV viewing. Associations with BMI were not apparent at this age.
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schrempft
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department for Health Evidence & Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cornelia H M
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: van Jaarsveld
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wardle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors