Area-level and family-level socioeconomic position and body composition trajectories: longitudinal analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Abstract

Background Inequalities in the trajectories of body composition in childhood and adolescence have been infrequently studied. Despite the importance of environmental factors in obesity development, little research has looked at arealevel socioeconomic position, independent of family socioeconomic position. We aimed to assess how inequalities in body composition develop with age. Methods The Millennium Cohort Study is a longitudinal study of 19 243 families who had a child born between 2000 and 2002 in the UK. Multilevel growth curve models were applied to examine change in fat mass index (FMI), fat free mass index (FFMI; using the Benn index), and fat mass to fat free mass ratio (FM:FFM), measured using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, from ages 7 years to 17 years by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and household income at baseline. Findings Inequalities in FMI and FM:FFM ratio are evident at age 7 years and widen with age. At age 17 years, adolescents in the most disadvantaged IMD group had FMI 0•57 kg/m B (B=Benn parameter; 95% CI 0•43 to 0•70) higher and FM:FFM ratio 0•037 (95% CI 0•026 to 0•047) higher compared with the most advantaged group. Disadvantaged socioeconomic position is associated with higher FFMI but is reversed in adolescence after adjustment for FMI. Inequalities were greater in girls at age 7 years (mean FMI 0•22 kg/m B ; 95% CI 0•13 to 0•32) compared with boys of the same age (0•05 kg/m B ; -0•04 to 0•15, p=0•3), but widen fastest in boys, especially for FMI, in which there was over an 11 times increase in the inequality from age 7 years of 0•05kg/m B (95% CI -0•04 to 0•15) to 0•62 kg/m B at 17 years (0•42 to 0•82). Inequalities for the IMD were similar to income, and persisted at age 17 years independent of family socioeconomic position. Interpretation Childhood and adolescence is an important period to address inequalities in body composition, as they emerge and widen. Policies should consider FFM as well as FM, and inequalities in the environment.

Interventions to prevent obesity in school-aged children 6-18 years: An update of a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis including studies from 2015–2021

“…This could include a comprehensive examination of the effectiveness of intervention components and the behavior change techniques that underpin them; or the wider determinants of health that interventions target. 237 Similarly, a better understanding may be required of the impact of factors that likely impact on effectiveness of interventions such as consumer co-production, differential effectiveness between population groups that may widen health inequities, 238 or the duration of investment required for population-wide impact. Given the distal nature of weight status, synthesis of proximal outcomes such as diet and physical activity may be important to identify additional promising obesity prevention interventions that warrant implementation.…”

Polygenic scores for schizophrenia and major depression are associated with psychosocial risk factors in children: evidence of gene–environment correlation

“…The MCS includes 18,827 children who were born in either England and Wales between September 2000 and August 2001 or in Scotland and Northern Ireland between November 2000 and January 2002 (Connelly & Platt, 2014). A total of 692 new families were added at age 3 bringing the total to 19,517 cohort members of which 9,894 (51.4%) were male and 15,638 (81.3%) white (self‐reported) (Staatz, Kelly, Lacey, & Hardy, 2021). The first survey was completed by the parents with later surveys including parents, teachers and cohort member reports.…”

“…(Connelly & Platt, 2014). A total of 692 new families were added at age 3 bringing the total to 19,517 cohort members of which 9,894 (51.4%) were male and 15,638 (81.3%) white (self-reported) (Staatz, Kelly, Lacey, & Hardy, 2021) (Shepherd & Gilbert, 2019). Participating parents and teachers provided informed consent.…”

Interlinkages between Climate Change and Food Systems: The Impact on Child Malnutrition—Narrative Review

“…Stunting prevalence tends to be more pronounced in association with the lowest socioeconomic status or household wealth status [ 9 , 32 , 33 ]. Likewise, women and children in lower socioeconomic groups seem to show high levels of obesity compared with the rest of the population [ 34 , 35 ]. Overall, poverty likely predisposes low-income individuals towards a suboptimal diet.…”