Life-stage factors associated with overweight severity in adolescents

Abstract

Background. Investigating life-stage factors associated with overweight may be useful in the prevention of excessive BMI increase. The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the route of delivery, birth weight and overweight onset on overweight severity in a sample of overweight adolescents followed at a Pediatric Obesity Clinic. Methods. Clinical data from 412 adolescents with overweight (BMI ≥ p85), aged 10-18 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results. Adolescents born by cesarean section (CS) showed a lower age of overweight onset, compared to other methods of delivery (d= 0.33, p= .009). Birth weight was positively associated with BMI z-score (r=.164, p= 002) and waist circumference (WC) (r=.191, p=.001). The overweight onset was negatively associated with BMI z-score (r= -.277, p < .001), WC (r= -.270, p < .001) and body fat mass (r= -.199, p=.001). Overweight duration was the best predictor of BMI z-score, explaining in 75% its variation (F=1,317)=26.94, p < .001), which increased to 99% when birth weight was included in the model (F(2,316)=18.47, p < .001). Conclusions. This study suggests that lifestyle may interrupt the burden of CS on BMI z-score throughout growth. Moreover, increased birth weight may anticipate overweight onset, and consequently overweight duration in the presence of inadequate lifestyle behaviors.

Vigorous physical activity: A potential ally in adolescent obesity management

“…On the other hand, overweight duration and age at overweight onset were the best developmental predictors of BMI z-score, predicting together 21% of BMI zscore variance. A previous cross-sectional study pointed to a positive association of overweight duration and BMI z-score in adolescents with overweight (Dut et al, 2020). Conversely to the expected, in this study overweight duration was negatively associated with overtime BMI z-score changes.…”

“…Way of delivery, birth weight, and age at overweight onset data were collected from individual health booklets. Although gestational age was also collected and used to calculate birth weight z-score (according to Intergrowth 21st) (Chatfield et al, 2013), birth weight by itself has shown higher consistent associations with BMI z-score, WC, and WHtR in adolescents, compared to the birth weight z-score (Dut, Videira-Silva, Vilardouro, Freira, & Fonseca, 2020), thus it was the only birth weight-related variable entered into the analyses. Age at overweight onset was considered as the time where BMI exceeded 85 th percentile.…”

The relationship between children’s somatotypes, motor examination results, and motor skills: assessing 6- to 10-year-olds

“…Body composition analysis was performed using the bioelectric impedance method and the portable body composition analyzer InBody430 (InBody Japan Inc., Tokyo, Japan) after confirming the absence of those with pacemakers, which is a contraindication for this device. Among the analysis items, the body water content, protein content, mineral content, body fat mass, lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral content were calculated by dividing each measurement value by the weight (%) 19,20) . Furthermore, the Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) was calculated by dividing the skeletal muscle mass by the square of the height.…”