Dataset Information

How does the UK childcare energy-balance environment influence anthropometry of children aged 3-4 years? A cross-sectional exploration.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess the association between time spent in care, the childcare energy-balance environment, and preschool-aged children's body mass index z-score (z-BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHR) and sum of skinfold thickness (SST).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting and participants

Children aged 3-4 years were recruited from 30 childcare centres in Cambridgeshire (UK) in 2013.

Main outcome measures

Objectively measured height and weight was used to calculate z-BMI; waist circumference and height were used to generate WHR; subscapular and tricep skinfolds were used to calculate SST. Associations between childcare attendance, the nutrition, physical activity, and overall childcare environment, and three anthropometric outcomes were explored using two-level hierarchical regression models, adjusting for demographic and family based confounders.

Results

Valid data were available for 196 children (49% female). Time spent in care, the nutrition, physical activity and overall childcare environment were not associated with children's z-BMI, WHR and SST.

Conclusions

Childcare environment and level of attendance were not associated with UK preschool-aged children's anthropometry. The childcare environment has been central to intervention efforts to prevent/reduce?early childhood obesity, yet other factors, including child-level, family level, wider environmental and policy-level factors warrant substantial attention when considering obesity prevention strategies for young children.

SUBMITTER: Hesketh KR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6082453 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

How does the UK childcare energy-balance environment influence anthropometry of children aged 3-4 years? A cross-sectional exploration.

Hesketh Kathryn R KR Benjamin-Neelon Sara E SE van Sluijs Esther M F EMF

BMJ open 20180712 7

<h4>Objectives</h4>To assess the association between time spent in care, the childcare energy-balance environment, and preschool-aged children's body mass index z-score (z-BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHR) and sum of skinfold thickness (SST).<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional study.<h4>Setting and participants</h4>Children aged 3-4 years were recruited from 30 childcare centres in Cambridgeshire (UK) in 2013.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>Objectively measured height and weight was used to calculate z ...[more]

PMID: 30002012

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Project description:BackgroundThe home environment is thought to influence children's weight trajectories. However, few studies utilise composite measures of the home environment to examine associations with energy balance behaviours and weight. The present study aimed to adapt and update a comprehensive measure of the obesogenic home environment previously developed for pre-schoolers, and explore associations with school-aged children's energy balance behaviours and weight.MethodsFamilies from the Gemini cohort (n = 149) completed the Home Environment Interview (HEI) via telephone when their children were 12 years old. The HEI comprises four composite scores: one for each domain (food, activity and media) of the environment, as well as a score for the overall obesogenic home environment. The primary caregiver also reported each child's height and weight (using standard scales and height charts), diet, physical activity and sedentary screen-based behaviours. A test-retest sample (n = 20) of caregivers completed the HEI a second time, 7-14 days after the initial interview, to establish test-retest reliability.ResultsChildren (n = 298) living in 'higher-risk' home environments (a 1 unit increase in the HEI obesogenic risk score) were less likely to consume fruits (OR; 95% CI = 0.40; 0.26-0.61, p < 0.001), and vegetables (0.30; 0.18-0.52, p < 0.001), and more likely to consume energy-dense snack foods (1.71; 1.08-2.69, p = 0.022), convenience foods (2.58; 1.64-4.05, p < 0.001), and fast foods (3.09; 1.90-5.04, p < 0.001). Children living in more obesogenic home environments also engaged in more screen-time (β (SE) = 4.55 (0.78), p < 0.001), spent more time playing video games (β (SE) = 1.56 (0.43), p < 0.001), and were less physically active (OR; 95% CI = 0.57; 0.40-0.80, p < 0.01). Additionally, there was a positive association between higher-risk overall home environment composite score and higher BMI-SDS (β (SE) = 0.23 (0.09), p < 0.01). This finding was mirrored for the home media composite (β (SE) = 0.12 (0.03), p < 0.001). The individual home food and activity composite scores were not associated with BMI-SDS.ConclusionFindings reveal associations between the overall obesogenic home environment and dietary intake, activity levels and screen-based sedentary behaviours, as well as BMI in 12 year olds. These findings suggest that the home environment, and in particular the home media environment, may be an important target for obesity prevention strategies.

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Dataset Information

How does the UK childcare energy-balance environment influence anthropometry of children aged 3-4 years? A cross-sectional exploration.

Objectives

Design

Setting and participants

Main outcome measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

How does the UK childcare energy-balance environment influence anthropometry of children aged 3-4 years? A cross-sectional exploration.

Similar Datasets

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