Poverty a strong risk factor for obesity in kids

Poverty status appears to be a prominent predictor of obesity risk in children, according to a recent study.

The present prospective cohort analysis included 1,240 children, 87.34 percent of whom belonged to families at or above the poverty line. Similarly, majority of families lived together (86.17 percent) and showed no signs of maternal depression (83.55 percent). Most of the children were boys (51.05 percent) and had difficult temperaments (62.44 percent). [Sci Rep 2022;12:15666]

At 24 months of age, 5.6 percent and 15.6 percent of children were deemed to be obese and overweight, respectively. These proportions grew steadily as the kids aged, reaching 6.3 percent and 18.6 percent at age 36 months and 9.3 percent and 24.7 percent at 54 months, respectively.

Body mass index (BMI) continued to increase after participants entered school. During the first grade, 11.7 percent and 25.3 percent were obese and overweight, respectively. These corresponding rates peaked at 19.5 percent and 33.9 percent at grade 5. By the ninth grade, or at approximately 15 years of age, 15.5 percent were obese while 31.0 percent were overweight.

Generalized estimating equation models were then constructed to identify factors associated with childhood obesity.

In crude analyses, the researchers found poverty level and family structure to be important determinants of body mass index in children. In particular, children who were in families that did not live together were nearly 80 percent more likely to be obese than peers in families that lived together (odds ratio [OR], 1.78, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.27–2.51).

Meanwhile, falling below the poverty line more than doubled the likelihood of childhood obesity (OR, 2.15, 95 percent CI, 1.53–3.01).

However, after adjusting for confounders such as all family and individual factors, as well as the child’s demographic and birth characteristics, only living below the poverty line remained a significant correlate of obesity, increasing such likelihood by over 60 percent (OR, 1.63, 95 percent CI, 1.05–2.53).

In contrast, maternal depression, maternal sensitivity to the child, the child’s temperament, and the type of childcare employed were all unrelated to childhood obesity.

“Findings highlight the importance of systemic-level public health changes in obesity reduction efforts and suggest that poverty-reduction based prevention and intervention are likely more effective targets than more individual/family specific targets,” the researchers said.

In the study, all participants were enrolled from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Childhood obesity was defined according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards, while poverty level was measured according to the family’s income level as regards their size and needs. Interviews and appropriate questionnaires were used to assess family structure and related variables.

“In the future, more longitudinal studies of childhood poverty and its consequent risk of obesity throughout childhood and adolescence are needed, with aims to explore the critical periods in childhood and adolescence during which poverty may have a greater influence on the incident obesity and identify mechanisms through which poverty influences obesity risk,” the researchers said.