Influence of early-life and parental factors on childhood overweight and obesity.
OBJECTIVE
We recently reported that a high BMI and high waist circumference prevalence is present in Sicilian children and that the male gender is associated with a significant risk of obesity. Early-life and parent-related risk factors were investigated 1521 Sicilian children (752 females and 769 males, aged 9.0-14.0 years) to identify biological and environmental factors that can contribute to obesity onset.


METHODS
Anthropometric measurements of children, their urban vs rural area provenience, birth weight and neonatal feeding were collected. In addition, the BMI and educational level of their parents and the perception of their child weight status were investigated.


RESULTS
In the study cohort, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 27.2 and 14.1 %, respectively, significantly (p < 0.05) higher in males than in females. Breastfeeding emerged as a protective factor (OR 0.64; p < 0.0005), while risk factors for developing childhood obesity were a birth weight ≥4.0 kg (OR 1.83; p < 0.05), an overweight or obese mother (OR 2.33; p < 0.0001) or father (OR 1.68; p < 0.0001) and a mother with a low/medium education level (OR 1.72; p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding risk factors for pediatric obesity is a prerequisite to identify children at highly risk of being obese and to predispose early intervention strategies.
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
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Parrino
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
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Vinciguerra
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
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La Spina
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
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Romeo
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
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Tumminia
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.|"S. Signorelli" Diabetes and Obesity Center, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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Baratta
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
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Squatrito
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.|Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, National Research Council, CNR, Catania, Italy.
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Vigneri
Endocrinology Unit, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Palermo 636, 95122, Catania, Italy. lfritti@unict.it.|"S. Signorelli" Diabetes and Obesity Center, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. lfritti@unict.it.
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Frittitta
D000293:Adolescent; D001724:Birth Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Birth weight; Breastfeeding; Education level; Obesity risk factors