Determinants of overweight in children under 4 years of age

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of and factors associated with overweight in children under 4 years of age in Feira de Santana, state of Bahia, Brazil. Methods:Cross-sectional study nested within a birth cohort of 793 children born in Feira de Santana, Brazil. Independent variables were related to infant characteristics, social and demographic factors, maternal reproductive aspects, and diet of the child at age 4 months. The dependent variable was nutritional status, as assessed by weight-forheight ratio compared to Multicentre Growth Reference Study standards and obtained with the use of the software ANTHRO. Z-scores of -2 and +2 above or below the median for the reference population were established as normality cutoff points. Child height and weight were measured with an anthropometer and digital scales, respectively; all measurements were taken in triplicate. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (CEP/UEFS), under registration number 096/2006. Results:The prevalence of overweight was 12.5%. Adequate birth weight (RR 2.75; 95%CI 1.50-5.05), primiparity (RR 1.61; 95%CI 1.09-2.35), and maternal employment outside the home at age 4 months (RR 1.73; 95%CI 1.16-2.59) were associated with overweight.

Maternal obesity, environmental factors, cesarean delivery and breastfeeding as determinants of overweight and obesity in children: results from a cohort

“…The absence of mothers from the home environment may have an impact on children’s nutritional status [38]. Some studies that have analyzed the associations between breastfeeding and overweight/obesity in children have discussed the increased risk of this outcome conferred on the children of mothers whose domestic roles have to compete with employment outside of the home [6,39]. Certain hypotheses can explain these results and are compatible with the results found in our study.…”

Food consumption pattern and obesity in preschool children in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil

“…In the present study, a total of 813 children younger than 4 years of age, who were followed-up in the cohort study were evaluated. More details on the cohort can be obtained in other publications [10,11].…”

Saúde e nutrição das crianças assistidas em creches públicas do município de Campina Grande, Paraíba

“…Essas baixas prevalências apontam na mesma direção de outros estudos realizados no Brasil, como na cidade de São Paulo (déficit de peso/estatura=0,9% e déficit de peso/idade=3,1%) 29 , em Paula Cândido, no Estado de Minas Gerais (déficit de peso/estatura=1% e déficit de peso/idade=2%) 30 , e em Feira de Santana, na Bahia (déficit de peso/estatura=0,5%) 31 . Esses resultados refletem claramente um gradativo desaparecimento da desnutrição pelo índice peso/estatura e uma redução considerável desse distúrbio nutricional expressa pelo índice peso/idade, inclusive em populações mais vulneráveis como a do presente estudo.…”

“…Nota-se ainda que a taxa de sobrepeso encontrada nesta pesquisa foi superior às encontradas em outros estudos realizados com crianças assistidas por creches públicas no Nordeste do Brasil 33,34 , bem como de estudos cujo cenário não foi especificamente o contexto escolar 30,35 . Porém prevalências concordantes ou maiores que as do presente estudo foram reportadas entre crianças nordestinas, tanto as assistidas em creches 32,36 quanto as de base populacional 31,37 . Assim, evidencia-se a problemática do sobrepeso nas crianças brasileiras, inclusive institucionalizadas, contrastando com a diminuição do déficit de peso.…”