title: The association between childcare and risk of childhood overweight and obesity in children aged 5 years and under: a systematic review.
abstract: The aim of this paper was to systematically review the published evidence on the relationship between the type of childcare and risk of childhood overweight or obesity. The databases PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and EMBASE were searched using combinations of the various search terms to identify eligible observational studies published between 2000 and May 2016 in English. Fifteen publications from 7 countries matched the inclusion criteria. The most commonly reported childcare arrangements were centre-based (e.g. crèche) and informal care (e.g. relatives, neighbours, friends). Informal care was most frequently associated with an increased risk of childhood overweight and obesity. Associations were also found for other lifestyle variables such as low maternal education, high birth-weight, maternal employment, ethnicity, maternal overweight/obesity and father's Body Mass Index (BMI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between childcare and childhood overweight/obesity is multi-faceted with many aspects linked to childhood adiposity, in particular the age of initiation to care, type of care (i.e. informal care) and shorter breastfeeding duration were related with infant adiposity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  • Lifestyle factors during early years affect health outcomes in adulthood, particularly in children with low birth weight. • Pre-school stage influences children's body composition and growth. What is new: • This is the first systematic review of observational studies examining the association between childcare and childhood overweight and obesity in preschool children. • 'Informal' care is linked to early introduction to solid foods, less physical activity and obesity.
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Goiuri
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8861-137X
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alberdi
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Aoife E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Helena A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mary H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Horan
authors.affiliation: UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eileen R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland. fionnuala.mcauliffe@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Fionnuala M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002654:Child Care / Q000379:methods*; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D000066502:Grandparents; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology*; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Adiposity; Childcare; Childhood obesity; Childhood overweight; Review