Height Trajectory During Early Childhood Is Inversely Associated with Fat Mass in Later Childhood in Mexican Boys

Abstract

Background Childhood obesity continues to be a global health problem. Previous research suggests that linear growth retardation or stunting during early childhood increases the risk of obesity, but others have reported that rapid linear growth poses a greater concern than early nutritional status. Objective The objective of this study was to determine if growth trajectories are associated with body composition at age 8–10 y. Methods Study participants consisted of 255 girls and 281 boys who participated in a follow-up of the Prenatal Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and Child Growth and Development (POSGRAD) Study. Sex-specific latent height class (LHC) trajectories were derived from 11 measures of height from birth to 5 y of age and used to calculate 3 distinct growth classes for boys (low, intermediate, and high) and 2 distinct classes for girls (low and high). Body composition at age 8–10 y was estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between growth trajectory classes and fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) in late childhood, controlling for confounding factors. Results In girls, there were no significant associations between LHC and FM or FFM. In boys, relative to the intermediate LHC, the low LHC had higher FM (β = 0.69 kg; 95% CI: 0.26−1.11 kg) and the high LHC had lower FM (β = −0.40 kg; 95% CI: −0.76 to −0.05 kg). Boys in the low LHC had significantly less FFM (β = −0.69 kg; 95% CI: −1.11 to −0.26 kg), and boys in the high LHC had more FFM (β = 0.40 kg; 95% CI: 0.05−0.76 kg) compared with the intermediate LHC. Conclusion Gain in height among boys, but not girls, in early childhood was associated with lower adiposity in late childhood compared with children with a slower rate of growth. Clinical trial registration number: NCT00646360

Double Burden of Excess Weight and Anemia in Latin American Children up to 2019

“…In the context of the double burden of malnutrition, dietary advice must consider malnutrition in all its forms (Zarate-Ortiz et al 2019). Gain in height among boys, but not in girls, in early childhood, was associated with lower adiposity in late childhood compared with children with a slower rate of growth (Barrios et al 2019).…”

Food insecurity and the double burden of malnutrition in Colombian rural households

“…Various studies have explained the presence of excessive weight in people with food insecurity through physical and mental mechanisms. For instance, growth failure in fetal life and infancy, which is especially associated with food insecurity in low-income communities (Borders et al, 2007;Chowdhury et al, 2018), has been correlated with higher visceral fat in adult life (Barrios et al, 2019;Corvalan et al, 2007;Law et al, 1992;Schroeder et al, 1999). According to Martins et al (2004) this association can be explained since chronic undernutrition in infancy is correlated to metabolic adaptations that further lead to higher fat mass accumulation.…”

Associations of Growth Impairment and Body Composition among South African School-Aged Children Enrolled in the KaziAfya Project

“…Cross-sectional studies in Brazil found that stunted school-aged children were more obese and had greater abdominal circumferences than non-stunted children [ 7 ]. Stunted boys in Brazil and in Mexico with slower height gain had greater FM and lower FFM compared to non-stunted boys or boys with greater height gain [ 23 , 24 ]. No significant differences were found between stunted and non-stunted girls or among girls with different growth trajectories.…”

“…Accordingly, a categorical variable for the SES measure was created with missing values categorized as zero, values below the median of summed processions classified as one, and values greater than the median classified as two. Models were adjusted for weight to distinguish body composition compartments as children with greater height had a higher body weight compared with children with the low-growth classes [ 24 ]. All statistical tests were performed using SPSS ® 26 (IBM Corporation; Armonk, NY, USA) with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05.…”

“…Similarly, comparable studies using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) have found no association among South African children [ 21 , 22 ], while studies in Brazil have reported that boys, but not girls, gained more FM than controls [ 23 ]. These disparate findings may also be due to differences in the ages of enrolled children and their growth patterns [ 24 ], as well as to differences in the design and sample size of the study. Additionally, changing dietary and physical activity patterns in LMICs that are occurring with urbanization may be contributing to this heterogeneity [ 25 , 26 ].…”