Child behaviour and subsequent changes in body weight, composition and shape

Studies have found an association between child behavioural problems and overweight, but the existing evidence for this relationship is inconsistent, and results from longitudinal studies are sparse. Thus, we examined the association between behavioural problems and subsequent changes in body mass i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2019-12, Vol.14 (12), p.e0226003
Main Authors: Christensen, Katrine G, Nielsen, Sidse G, Olsen, Nanna J, Dalgård, Christine, Heitmann, Berit L, Larsen, Sofus C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Analysis
Anthropometry
Biology and Life Sciences
Body Composition
Body fat
Body mass
Body Mass Index
Body Size
Body Weight
Body weight gain
Child
Child Behavior
Child, Preschool
Children
Correlation analysis
Exercise
Female
Hip
Humans
Linear Models
Longitudinal studies
Medicine and Health Sciences
Obesity
Overweight
Overweight - pathology
People and Places
Physiological aspects
Preventive medicine
Regression analysis
Social Sciences
Studies
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
Waist Circumference
Waist-Hip Ratio
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Summary:Studies have found an association between child behavioural problems and overweight, but the existing evidence for this relationship is inconsistent, and results from longitudinal studies are sparse. Thus, we examined the association between behavioural problems and subsequent changes in body mass index (BMI) and anthropometry over a follow-up period of 1.3 years among children aged 2-6 years. The study was based on a total of 345 children from The Healthy Start Study; all children were healthy weight but predisposed to develop overweight. The Danish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), classified as SDQ Total Difficulties (SDQ-TD) and SDQ Prosocial Behaviour (SDQ-PSB), was used to assess child behaviour. Linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between SDQ scores and subsequent change in BMI z-score, body fat percentage, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, while taking possible confounding factors into account. We found an association between SDQ-PSB and subsequent change in BMI z-score (β: 0.040 [95% CI: 0.010; 0.071, p = 0.009]). However, there was no evidence of an association between SDQ-PSB and measures of body composition or body shape. Among 2 to 6 years old children predisposed to overweight, the association between SDQ-scores and weight gain is either absent or marginal. The SDQ-PSB score may be associated with subsequent increases in BMI z-score, but this association does not seem driven by an increased relative fat accumulation.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0226003