Timing of Excess Weight Gain in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that most excess weight gain occurs by school entry in a large sample of English children, and to determine when the greatest gain in excess weight occurred between birth and 15 years. METHODS: Longitudinal data were collected annually from birth to 15 years in 625 children. Weight and BMI at each time point were expressed relative to UK 1990 growth reference as z scores. Excess weight gain was calculated as the group increase in weight and BMI z scores between specific time periods. RESULTS: Weight z score did not increase from birth to 5 years (mean difference: 0.04 [95% confidence interval (CI): −0.03–0.12] P = .30) but increased from 5 to 9 years (mean difference: 0.19 [95% CI: 0.14–0.23] P < .001). BMI z score increased from 7 to 9 years (mean difference: 0.22 [95% CI: 0.18–0.26] P < .001), with no evidence of a large increase before 7 years and after 9 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the hypothesis that most excess weight gain occurs in early childhood in contemporary English children. Excess weight gain was substantial in mid-childhood, with more gradual increases in early childhood and adolescence, which indicates that interventions to prevent excess weight should focus on school-aged children and adolescents as well as the preschool years.
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In the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort, the incidence of obesity across childhood and adolescence peaked around age 7 years, and among non-obese individuals the rate of excessive weight gain also peaked at the same time.
“In the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort in England for example the incidence (appearance of new cases) of obesity across childhood and adolescence peaked around age 7 years,34 and among non-obese individuals the rate of excessive weight gain also peaked at the same time.35”
From Timing of the decline in physical activity in childhood and adolescence: gateshead millennium cohort study (2018) · cites this paper as [35]
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- Authors
- Hughes, A. R., Sherriff, A., Lawlor, D. A., Ness, A. R., & Reilly, J. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Stirling (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Department of Oral and Dental Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, England; and
- Venue
- Pediatrics
- Publisher
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Published
- 2011-03-01
- Volume
- 127
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e730-e736
- ISSN
- 0031-4005 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-4275
- OpenAlex
- W2146711792
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 5.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- PEDIATRICS (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (submittedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion)
- Strathprints: The University of Strathclyde institutional repository (University of Strathclyde) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (076467/Z/05/Z)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (74882)
- University of Bristol
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Risks and Factors
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
- Keywords
- excessive weight gain, childhood obesity, body mass index, middle childhood, school entry, childhood obesity prevention, ALSPAC cohort
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Birth Weight, Child, Child, Preschool, England, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Obesity, Risk Factors, Time Factors, Weight Gain, Body Mass Index, Prevalence
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