TY - JOUR
T1 - Early childhood adversity and body mass index in childhood and adolescence
T2 - linking registry data on adversities with school health records of 53,401 children from Copenhagen
AU - Elsenburg, Leonie K.
AU - Rieckmann, Andreas
AU - Bengtsson, Jessica
AU - Lange, Theis
AU - Baker, Jennifer L.
AU - Sørensen, Thorkild I. A.
AU - Rod, Naja Hulvej
N1 - Funding Information: The CSHRR was initiated and planned by Dr. Thorkild I.A. Sørensen and built by the former Institute of Preventive Medicine, The Capital Region of Denmark. LKE was supported by a Rubicon grant (45219105) of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). JLB acknowledges support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF21OC0067346). Funding Information: LKE was supported by a Rubicon grant (45219105) of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). JLB acknowledges support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF21OC0067346). JB is currently employed at Novo Nordisk A/S and AR is currently employed at Lundbeck A/S. JB and AR contributed to this manuscript during their previous positions as researchers at the University of Copenhagen, and not during their current positions. The other authors declare no competing interests. Funding Information: The CSHRR was initiated and planned by Dr. Thorkild I.A. Sørensen and built by the former Institute of Preventive Medicine, The Capital Region of Denmark. LKE was supported by a Rubicon grant (45219105) of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). JLB acknowledges support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF21OC0067346). Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/11
Y1 - 2023/11
N2 - Objective: We examined whether childhood adversity experienced in early childhood (0–5 years) is related to body mass index (BMI) in childhood (6–7 years) and adolescence (12–15 years). Methods: This study combined data from the nationwide register-based DANLIFE study on childhood adversities with data on height and weight of school children in Copenhagen. Data were available for 53,401 children born in Denmark between 1980 and 1996. Children were divided into groups of early childhood adversity by applying group-based multi-trajectory modelling using their yearly count of childhood adversity in three dimensions (i.e., material deprivation, loss or threat of loss, and family dynamics) from 0–5 years. Direct and total associations between the early childhood adversity groups and BMI z-scores in childhood and adolescence were estimated using sex-stratified structural equation models. Results: Five exclusive and exhaustive groups of early childhood adversity were identified, which were characterized by low adversity (51%), moderate material deprivation (30%), high material deprivation (14%), loss or threat of loss (3%) and high adversity (2%). Boys and girls exposed to moderate or high material deprivation and loss or threat of loss had a slightly higher BMI z-score, especially in adolescence, compared with those in the low adversity group, with the strongest association found for girls in the loss or threat of loss group (b (95% CI) = 0.18 (0.10, 0.26)). Additionally, boys in the high adversity group had a slightly lower BMI z-score in childhood than boys in the low adversity group (b (95% CI) = −0.12 (−0.22, −0.02)). Conclusions: Whereas associations with BMI were found for children and adolescents exposed to material deprivation, loss or threat of loss, and high adversity, the effect sizes were generally small. Contrary to prevailing hypotheses, weight changes in childhood is probably not a major explanatory mechanism linking early childhood adversity with later-life morbidity.
AB - Objective: We examined whether childhood adversity experienced in early childhood (0–5 years) is related to body mass index (BMI) in childhood (6–7 years) and adolescence (12–15 years). Methods: This study combined data from the nationwide register-based DANLIFE study on childhood adversities with data on height and weight of school children in Copenhagen. Data were available for 53,401 children born in Denmark between 1980 and 1996. Children were divided into groups of early childhood adversity by applying group-based multi-trajectory modelling using their yearly count of childhood adversity in three dimensions (i.e., material deprivation, loss or threat of loss, and family dynamics) from 0–5 years. Direct and total associations between the early childhood adversity groups and BMI z-scores in childhood and adolescence were estimated using sex-stratified structural equation models. Results: Five exclusive and exhaustive groups of early childhood adversity were identified, which were characterized by low adversity (51%), moderate material deprivation (30%), high material deprivation (14%), loss or threat of loss (3%) and high adversity (2%). Boys and girls exposed to moderate or high material deprivation and loss or threat of loss had a slightly higher BMI z-score, especially in adolescence, compared with those in the low adversity group, with the strongest association found for girls in the loss or threat of loss group (b (95% CI) = 0.18 (0.10, 0.26)). Additionally, boys in the high adversity group had a slightly lower BMI z-score in childhood than boys in the low adversity group (b (95% CI) = −0.12 (−0.22, −0.02)). Conclusions: Whereas associations with BMI were found for children and adolescents exposed to material deprivation, loss or threat of loss, and high adversity, the effect sizes were generally small. Contrary to prevailing hypotheses, weight changes in childhood is probably not a major explanatory mechanism linking early childhood adversity with later-life morbidity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168971796&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01355-9
DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01355-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 37626127
SN - 0307-0565
VL - 47
SP - 1057
EP - 1064
JO - International journal of obesity (2005)
JF - International journal of obesity (2005)
IS - 11
ER -