Work

Racial differences in crossing major growth percentiles in infancy

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND/AIMS: We examined associations of ever crossing upwards ≥2 (vs <2) major weight-for-length (WFL) percentiles in the first 24 months with obesity at 5 years among white and black children. METHODS: We included 10 979 white and 1245 black children from the Linked CENTURY Study with percentile crossing data in all four 6-month periods in the first 24 months and obesity (age-specific and sex-specific body mass index ≥95th percentile) at 5 years. We used adjusted logistic regression models and stratified by race. RESULTS: 64% of children crossed upwards ≥2 major WFL percentiles in the first 2 years. Among white children, 12% were obese vs 7% for <2 crossings, while among black children the frequencies were 23% vs 9%. Black children (adjusted OR 2.94, 2.04 to 4.23) who had ever crossed upwards ≥2 major WFL percentiles had a higher odds of obesity at age 5 than white children (adjusted OR 1.89, 1.64 to 2.18) (interaction p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that rapid weight gain in infancy is more deleterious among black than white children for later obesity.

Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood

DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311238

Authors: Summer Sherburne Hawkins, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman, Matthew W Gillman, Elsie M Taveras

Institutions: Boston College, Harvard University, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Massachusetts General Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development