title: Race/Ethnic Differences in Birth Size, Infant Growth, and Body Mass Index at Age Five Years in Children in Hawaii.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Factors at birth and infancy may increase risk of being overweight in childhood. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of birth size and infant growth (2-24 months) with BMI at age 5 years in a multiethnic population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study (using electronic medical records of a health maintenance organization in Hawaii) of singleton children born in 2004-2005, with linked maternal and birth information, infant weights (n = 597) and lengths (n = 473) in the first 2 years, and BMI measures at age 5 years (n = 894). Multiple regression models were used to estimate the association of BMI at age 5 years with birth size and infant growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Birth weight was positively associated with BMI at age 5 years, adjusting for gestational age, sex, race/ethnicity, and maternal prepregnancy weight, age, education, and smoking. A greater change in infant weight was associated with a higher BMI at age 5 years, though the effect of birth weight on BMI was neither mediated nor modified by infant growth rate. Birth weight, change in infant weight, and BMI at age 5 years varied by race/ethnicity. Change in infant BMI in the first 2 years was higher in other Pacific Islanders and whites (Δ = 0.966; confidence interval [CI] = 0.249-1.684; p = 0.02) than in Asian, other, and part Native Hawaiian race/ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early biological measures of birth weight and infant weight gain varied by race/ethnicity and positively predicted BMI at age 5 years.
authors.affiliation: 1 Kaiser Permanente, Center for Health Research Hawaii , Honolulu, HI.
authors.forename: Caryn E S
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Oshiro
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii , Mānoa, HI.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Novotny
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Public Health Sciences, Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii , Mānoa, HI.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Grove
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Public Health Sciences, Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii , Mānoa, HI.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D048788:Growth and Development; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D044465:White People