Abstract
Objective
To identify eating and activity factors associated with school-aged children’s onset
of overweight and persistent overweight.
Design
Data were gathered at four time points between kindergarten entry and spring of third
grade. Children were directly weighed and measured and categorized as not overweight
(<95th percentile of body mass index) or overweight (≥95th percentile body mass index);
parents were interviewed by telephone or in person.
Subjects/Setting
Subjects were participants in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten
Cohort, a nationally representative sample of children who entered kindergarten during
1998-1999. Children who weighed <2,000 g at birth, received therapeutic services before
kindergarten, skipped or repeated a grade, or without complete height and weight data
were excluded, resulting in 8,459 participants. Children with intermittent overweight
were not examined (n=459); analyses addressed 8,000 children.
Main Outcome Measures
Three mutually exclusive groups of children were identified: never overweight, overweight
onset, and persistent overweight.
Statistical Analyses Performed
Multilevel, multivariate logistic regression analyses estimated the effects of eating
and activity factors on the odds of overweight onset and persistent overweight above
child sex, race, and family socioeconomic status.
Results
Children who watched more television (odds ratio [OR] 1.02) and ate fewer family meals
(OR 1.08) were more likely to be overweight for the first time at spring semester
of third grade. Children who watched more television (OR 1.03), ate fewer family meals
(OR 1.08), and lived in neighborhoods perceived by parents as less safe for outdoor
play (OR 1.32) were more likely to be persistently overweight. Child aerobic exercise
and opportunities for activity were not associated with a greater likelihood of weight
problems.
Conclusions
This study supports theories regarding the contributions of television watching, family
meals, and neighborhood safety to childhood weight status. When working with families
to prevent and treat childhood weight problems, food and nutrition professionals should
attend to children’s time spent with screen media, the frequency of family mealtimes,
and parents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety for children’s outdoor play.
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Biography
S. Gable is an associate professor and state extension specialist, Human Development and Family Studies Extension, and J. L. Krull is an associate professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia.
Biography
Y. Chang is a senior research analyst, Center for Research, Assessment, and Planning, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY; at the time of the study, she was a doctoral candidate, Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia.
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© 2007 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
