Impact of Low Maternal Education on Early Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Europe

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Authors

RUIZ Milagros GOLDBLATT Peter MORRISON Joanna PORTA Daniela FORASTIERE Francesco HRYHORCZUK Daniel ANTIPKIN Youriy SAUREL-CUBIZOLLES Marie-Josephe LIORET Sandrine VRIJHEID Martine TORRENT Maties INIGUEZ Carmen LARRANAGA Isabel BAKOULA Chryssa VELTSISTA Alexandra VAN EIJSDEN Manon VRIJKOTTE Tanja GM ANDRÝSKOVÁ Lenka DUŠEK Ladislav BARROS Henrique CORREIA Sofia JARVELIN Marjo-Riitta TAANILA Anja LUDVIGSSON Johnny FARESJO Tomas MARMOT Michael PIKHART Hynek

Year of publication 2016
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ppe.12285/abstract;jsessionid=AE8A044800DB26A2BA1E29D6DC3EE073.f03t01
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12285
Field Public health care, social medicine
Keywords child; preschool; cohort studies; comparative study; Europe; health inequalities; maternal educational status; meta-analysis; obesity; overweight;
Description Background: Comparable evidence on adiposity inequalities in early life is lacking across a range of European countries. This study investigates whether low maternal education is associated with overweight and obesity risk in children from distinct European settings during early childhood. Methods: Prospective data of 45 413 children from 11 European cohorts were used. Children’s height and weight obtained at ages 4–7 years were used to assess prevalent overweight and obesity according to the International Obesity Task Force definition. The Relative/Slope Indices of Inequality (RII/SII) were estimated within each cohort and by gender to investigate adiposity risk among children born to mothers with low education as compared to counterparts born to mothers with high education. Individual-data meta-analyses were conducted to obtain aggregate estimates and to assess heterogeneity between cohorts. Results: Low maternal education yielded a substantial risk of early childhood adiposity across 11 European countries. Low maternal education yielded a mean risk ratio of 1.58 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34, 1.85) and a mean risk difference of 7.78% (5.34, 10.22) in early childhood overweight, respectively, measured by the RII and SII. Early childhood obesity risk by low maternal education was as substantial for all cohorts combined (RII = 2.61 (2.10, 3.23)) and (SII = 4.01% (3.14, 4.88)). Inequalities in early childhood adiposity were consistent among boys, but varied among girls in a few cohorts. Conclusions: Considerable inequalities in overweight and obesity are evident among European children in early life. Tackling early childhood adiposity is necessary to promote children’s immediate health and well-being and throughout the life course.
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