title: Fetal programming and metabolic abnormalities: design of a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the methodological features of a study on the association between restricted intrauterine growth and prevalence of overweight, obesity and hypertension in school aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in two stages in two public schools in Niterói (RJ), from June through December 2010. All students aged 6 to 14 years were eligible to participate. The first stage consisted of an interview to collect information on demographic variables, diet and other variables. A sample was selected for the second stage, in order to conduct an equivalent of a case-cohort study. There was an interval of about 15 days between the two stages. Cases were overweight students, defined as a Z-score for BMI/age/sex > +1.00 in the first stage. Controls were selected by using a random schedule in which the sample frame was the whole cohort. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, carotid ultrasound to measure intimal-medial thickness, blood measurements and interviews were obtained. Gestational age and weight at birth were used to define proxy variables of restricted intrauterine growth. Early health information was obtained from medical registers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study participation was 76.4% (n = 795) out of 1,040 eligible to participate). 85.1% of parent's questionnaires were returned. 62.5% of the eligible children participated in the case-control study (case: control ratio = 1:1.8). Early life health information was obtained from 292 children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study has the potential to provide important information about multiple outcomes and exposures related to restricted intrauterine growth and metabolic abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jackeline Christiane Pinto
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lobato
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio José Leal
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pauline Lorena
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kale
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes Tavares
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Caetano
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kuschnir
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Guillermo Coca
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Velarde
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Cláudio Lucas da
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Nóbrega
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Beni
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olej
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana de Barros
authors.initials: Lde B
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Moyses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szklo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012107:Research Design