Maternal behaviour and child birth outcomes have been shown to be associated with the risk of disease in children. However, little is known about their association with the trajectories of physical development. The ai...Maternal behaviour and child birth outcomes have been shown to be associated with the risk of disease in children. However, little is known about their association with the trajectories of physical development. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with body mass index (BMI) trajectories in Japanese toddlers. All 900 children born in Ibara City between 2006 and 2009 were enrolled in this study with their mothers. Children’s heights and weights were measured, as was BMI (weight [kg]/height [m]<sup>2</sup>). Multilevel analyses examined the association of maternal behaviour (smoking, using formula milk, and leaving the child in a daytime nursery) and birth outcomes (weight, parity, and gestational age) with standardized BMI trajectories (z-score analysis). Average BMIs ± standard deviations at birth and at 1.5, 2, and 3 years were 12.6 ± 1.3, 16.8 ± 1.2, 16.1 ± 1.2, and 15.7 ± 0.1, respectively. Maternal behaviour was not associated with BMI trajectories. However, BMIs of low birth weight children at 3 years were significantly higher than those of other children (β = 1.799, P β = –0.035, P β = –0.04271, P < 0.001). Other evaluated factors were not associated with BMI trajectories. Our results showed that low birth weight children are more likely to exhibit lower BMIs until 2 years of age;however, BMI rapidly rises afterwards. Longer follow-up periods are warranted to evaluate the consequence of the late-year rapid increases in BMI among low birth weight children.展开更多
Objective: This study attempts to understand child care providers’ perceptions of remarkable children’s lifestyles and discusses potentially successful strategies of cooperation among child care providers, parents, ...Objective: This study attempts to understand child care providers’ perceptions of remarkable children’s lifestyles and discusses potentially successful strategies of cooperation among child care providers, parents, and health professionals for health promotion and the prevention of obesity in preschool children. Methods: We conducted 6 focus group discussions consisting of 34 child care providers employed by private and public child care centers, and a public kindergarten in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Systematic thematic analysis was conducted to generate themes to address the study questions. Results: What the focus group participants discussed with felt mainly into the 3 different kinds of points: “Concerns of Child Care Providers Regarding Parental Attitudes about Nutrition and Nurture,” “Tensions between Parents and Child Care Providers,” and “Current Obesity Prevention Activities and the Role of Child Care Professionals.” Conclusions: Childcare providers had many concerns that fell into 5 main issues of the possible detrimental effects on children’s health due to parents’ nurturing methods and lifestyles. Participants described possible strategies for the prevention of childhood obesity in childcare settings as well as barriers to effective intervention. Childcare providers felt that a system to demand helps from public health nurses in guiding parents would be effective in preventing childhood obesity.展开更多
文摘Maternal behaviour and child birth outcomes have been shown to be associated with the risk of disease in children. However, little is known about their association with the trajectories of physical development. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with body mass index (BMI) trajectories in Japanese toddlers. All 900 children born in Ibara City between 2006 and 2009 were enrolled in this study with their mothers. Children’s heights and weights were measured, as was BMI (weight [kg]/height [m]<sup>2</sup>). Multilevel analyses examined the association of maternal behaviour (smoking, using formula milk, and leaving the child in a daytime nursery) and birth outcomes (weight, parity, and gestational age) with standardized BMI trajectories (z-score analysis). Average BMIs ± standard deviations at birth and at 1.5, 2, and 3 years were 12.6 ± 1.3, 16.8 ± 1.2, 16.1 ± 1.2, and 15.7 ± 0.1, respectively. Maternal behaviour was not associated with BMI trajectories. However, BMIs of low birth weight children at 3 years were significantly higher than those of other children (β = 1.799, P β = –0.035, P β = –0.04271, P < 0.001). Other evaluated factors were not associated with BMI trajectories. Our results showed that low birth weight children are more likely to exhibit lower BMIs until 2 years of age;however, BMI rapidly rises afterwards. Longer follow-up periods are warranted to evaluate the consequence of the late-year rapid increases in BMI among low birth weight children.
文摘Objective: This study attempts to understand child care providers’ perceptions of remarkable children’s lifestyles and discusses potentially successful strategies of cooperation among child care providers, parents, and health professionals for health promotion and the prevention of obesity in preschool children. Methods: We conducted 6 focus group discussions consisting of 34 child care providers employed by private and public child care centers, and a public kindergarten in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Systematic thematic analysis was conducted to generate themes to address the study questions. Results: What the focus group participants discussed with felt mainly into the 3 different kinds of points: “Concerns of Child Care Providers Regarding Parental Attitudes about Nutrition and Nurture,” “Tensions between Parents and Child Care Providers,” and “Current Obesity Prevention Activities and the Role of Child Care Professionals.” Conclusions: Childcare providers had many concerns that fell into 5 main issues of the possible detrimental effects on children’s health due to parents’ nurturing methods and lifestyles. Participants described possible strategies for the prevention of childhood obesity in childcare settings as well as barriers to effective intervention. Childcare providers felt that a system to demand helps from public health nurses in guiding parents would be effective in preventing childhood obesity.
