IJE Advance Access originally published online on March 21, 2007
International Journal of Epidemiology 2007 36(3):550-557; doi:10.1093/ije/dym010
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Size at birth, infant, early and later childhood growth and adult body composition: a prospective study in a stunted population
1 Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University; 540 Asbury Circle, Atlanta GA 30322, USA.
2 Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Calzada Roosevelt 6-25 Zona 11 Guatemala City, Guatemala.
3 Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University; 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta GA 30322, USA.
* Corresponding author. Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta GA 30322, USA. E-mail: aryeh.stein{at}emory.edu
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Abstract |
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Background Pre-natal and post-natal growth are associated with adult body composition, but the relative importance of growth in different periods of childhood is still unclear, particularly in stunted populations.
Methods We studied 358 women and 352 men measured as children in 1969–77 in four villages in Guatemala, and re-measured as adults in 2002–04 (mean age 32.7 years). We determined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and length at birth, and changes in BMI and length during infancy (0–1.0 year) and early (1.0–3.0 years) and later (3.0–7.0 years) childhood, with adult BMI (aBMI), percentage of body fat (aPBF), abdominal circumference (aAC) and fat-free mass (aFFM).
Results Prevalence of stunting was high (64% at 3 years; HAZ < –2SD). Obesity (WHZ > 2SD) prevalence in childhood was <2%, while overweight prevalence in adulthood was 52%. BMI at birth was positively associated with aBMI and aFFM while length at birth was positively associated with aAC and aFFM. Increased BMI in infancy and later childhood were positively associated with all four adult body composition measures; associations in later childhood with fatness and abdominal fatness were stronger than those with aFFM. Change in length during infancy and early childhood was positively associated with all four adult body composition outcomes; the associations with aFFM were stronger than those with fat mass.
Conclusions Increases in BMI between 3.0 and 7.0 years had stronger associations with adult fat mass and abdominal fat than with aFFM; increases in length prior to age 3.0 years were most strongly associated with increases in aFFM.
Keywords Birth weight, early post-natal growth, linear growth, body composition, fat mass, fat-free mass, body mass index
Accepted 19 January 2007
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