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Social Science & Medicine (1982) Oct 2022Several studies have documented a link between maternal employment and childhood obesity, but the mechanisms are not clear. This study investigated the association of... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Several studies have documented a link between maternal employment and childhood obesity, but the mechanisms are not clear. This study investigated the association of maternal employment with children's weight status and detailed weight-related behaviors using data from Phase I of Family Matters, a cross-sectional, observational study of 150 children aged 5-8 from six racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Latinx, Native American, Hmong, and Somali) and their families from the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area recruited in 2015-2016. Weight status (objectively measured), child dietary intake (three 24-h dietary recalls), physical activity (eight days of hip-mounted accelerometer data on children), and sleep (eight daily parent reports on children's sleep hours) were examined across four categories of maternal employment status: stay-at-home caregivers, working part-time, working full-time, and unemployed/unable to work. This study found that children's weight status and physical activity levels were similar across all categories of maternal employment. However, there were significant differences in aspects of children's diets by maternal employment status and, compared to children with stay-at-home mothers, children's sleep was significantly lower if their mother worked full-time. These findings highlight that dietary and sleep interventions tailored to the mother's employment status may be fruitful.
Topics: Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Employment; Female; Humans; Mothers; Pediatric Obesity
PubMed: 36067580
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115303 -
Nutrients Dec 2023Nutrition interventions to prevent pediatric obesity can help to establish healthy habits to improve current and future health. The objective of this umbrella review of... (Review)
Review
Nutrition interventions to prevent pediatric obesity can help to establish healthy habits to improve current and future health. The objective of this umbrella review of systematic reviews (SRs) is to examine the impact of obesity prevention interventions with a nutrition component on body mass index measures, overweight/obesity prevalence, and cost-effectiveness in participants 2-17 years old. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methods were used, and this umbrella review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023443033). Included SRs were required to search ≥2 databases and to assess the risk of bias (RoB) of primary studies, and they were published 2017-June 2023. Database searches identified 4776 articles, and 31 SRs were included. In all age groups combined, interventions with both nutrition and physical activity were effective and cost-effective in all settings combined, and in the community setting specifically. In children ≤5 years old, interventions in the home and family, community, and healthcare settings demonstrated some efficacy, whereas in children 6-12 years old, school interventions were most effective. Evidence with individuals 13-17 years was limited. The certainty of evidence was generally low due to RoB in included studies, inconsistency, and imprecision. Pediatric obesity prevention interventions with nutrition should be tailored to the developmental stage to ensure appropriateness and efficacy.
Topics: Child; Humans; Child, Preschool; Adolescent; Pediatric Obesity; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Body Mass Index; Overweight; Exercise
PubMed: 38140356
DOI: 10.3390/nu15245097 -
Current Obesity Reports Jun 2018In the modern obesogenic environment, food cues play a crucial role in the development of obesity by disrupting hormone and energy balance mechanisms. Thus, it is... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
In the modern obesogenic environment, food cues play a crucial role in the development of obesity by disrupting hormone and energy balance mechanisms. Thus, it is critical to understand the neurobiology of feeding behaviors and obesity in the context of ubiquitous food cues. The current paper reviews the physiology of feeding, hormonal regulation of energy balance, and food cue responses and discusses their contributions to obesity.
RECENT FINDINGS
Food cues have strong impact on human physiology. Obese individuals have altered food cue-elicited responses in the brain and periphery, overpowering hormone and energy balance regulation. Disrupted homeostasis during food cue exposure leads to continued food intake, unsuccessful weight management, and poor treatment outcomes, which further contributes to obesity epidemic. Findings from the review emphasize the crucial role of food cues in obesity epidemic, which necessitates multidimensional approaches to the prevention and treatment of obesity, including psychosocial interventions to reduce food cue reactivity, along with conventional treatment.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Child; Child Behavior; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Cues; Diet, Healthy; Energy Intake; Energy Metabolism; Food Preferences; Humans; Obesity; Pediatric Obesity; Risk; Self-Control; Weight Reduction Programs
PubMed: 29619632
DOI: 10.1007/s13679-018-0303-1 -
Hormone Research in Paediatrics 2022The prevalence of obesity in childhood has increased dramatically in recent decades with increased risk of developing cardiometabolic and other comorbidities. Childhood... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of obesity in childhood has increased dramatically in recent decades with increased risk of developing cardiometabolic and other comorbidities. Childhood adiposity may also influence processes of growth and puberty.
SUMMARY
Growth patterns of obesity during childhood have been shown to be associated with increased linear growth in early childhood, leading to accelerated epiphyseal growth plate (EGP) maturation. Several hormones secreted by the adipose tissue may affect linear growth in the context of obesity, both via the growth hormone IGF-1 axis and via a direct effect on the EGP. The observation that children with obesity tend to mature earlier than lean children has led to the assumption that the degree of body fatness may trigger the neuroendocrine events that lead to pubertal onset. The most probable link between obesity and puberty is leptin and its interaction with the kisspeptin system, which is an important regulator of puberty. However, peripheral action of adipose tissue could also be involved in changes in the onset of puberty. In addition, nutritional factors, epigenetics, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals are potential mediators linking pubertal onset to obesity. In this review, we focused on interactions of obesity with linear growth and pubertal processes, based on basic research and clinical data in humans.
KEY MESSAGE
Children with obesity are subject to accelerated linear growth with risk of impaired adult height and early puberty, with its psychological consequences. The data highlight another important objective in combatting childhood obesity, for the prevention of abnormal growth and pubertal patterns.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Adult; Body Height; Child; Child, Preschool; Human Growth Hormone; Humans; Pediatric Obesity; Puberty
PubMed: 34130293
DOI: 10.1159/000516171 -
Journal of Medicine and Life 2016Obesity is considered a condition presenting a complex, multi-factorial etiology that implies genetic and non-genetic factors. The way the available information should... (Review)
Review
Obesity is considered a condition presenting a complex, multi-factorial etiology that implies genetic and non-genetic factors. The way the available information should be efficiently and strategically used in the obesity and overweight prohylaxisprogrammes for children all over the world is still unclear for most of the risk factors. Mothers' pre-conception weight and weight gain during pregnancy are two of the most important prenatal determinants of childhood obesity. Maternal obesity and gestational weight gain are associated with foetal macrosomia and childhood obesity, and this effect extends into adulthood. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome in children originate in intrauterine life. The current obesity epidemic is probably the result of our evolutive inheritance associated with the consumption of highly processed food with an increased calorific value. The determination of risk factors involved in child obesity are: genetic predisposition, diet, sedentary behaviors, socioeconomic position, ethnic origin, microbiota, iatrogenic, endocrine diseases, congenital and acquired hypothalamic defects, usage of medications affecting appetite. However, the vast majority of patients will not have any of these identifiable conditions. Regardless of the aetiology, all the patients should be considered for modifiable lifestyle risk factors and screened for the complications of obesity.
Topics: Child; Diet; Female; Humans; Microbiota; Pediatric Obesity; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Sedentary Behavior; Socioeconomic Factors
PubMed: 27928443
DOI: No ID Found -
Complementary Therapies in Medicine Dec 2023
Topics: Child; Humans; Adolescent; Public Health; Pediatric Obesity; Health Promotion; Educational Status
PubMed: 37949416
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.103004 -
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical... Apr 2021Pediatric obese asthma is a complex disease that remains poorly understood. The increasing worldwide incidence of both asthma and obesity over the last few decades,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Pediatric obese asthma is a complex disease that remains poorly understood. The increasing worldwide incidence of both asthma and obesity over the last few decades, their current high prevalence and the challenges in treating obese asthmatic patients all highlight the importance of a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms in obese asthma. While it is well established that patients with obesity are at an increased risk of developing asthma, the mechanisms by which obesity drives the onset of asthma, and modifies existing asthma, remain unclear. Here, we will focus on mechanisms by which obesity alters immune function in asthma.
RECENT FINDINGS
Lung parenchyma has an altered structure in some pediatric obese asthmatics, known as dysanapsis. Central adiposity is linked to reduced pulmonary function and a better predictor of asthma risk in children than BMI. Obesity in young children is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma, as well as early puberty, and hormonal alterations are implicated in obese asthma. Obesity and asthma each yield immunometabolic dysregulation separately and we are learning more about alterations in these pathways in pediatric obese asthma and the potential impact of bariatric surgery on those processes.
SUMMARY
The recent progress in clarifying the connections between childhood obesity and asthma and their combined impacts on immune function moves us closer to the goals of improved understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning obese asthma and improved therapeutic target selection. However, this common inflammatory disease remains understudied, especially in children, and much remains to be learned.
Topics: Asthma; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Immunity; Lung; Pediatric Obesity; Prevalence
PubMed: 33620885
DOI: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000725 -
Journal of Clinical Research in... Sep 2015Obesity is becoming the most frequently diagnosed chronic disease in many countries affecting all age groups and specifically the pediatric population. To date, most... (Review)
Review
Obesity is becoming the most frequently diagnosed chronic disease in many countries affecting all age groups and specifically the pediatric population. To date, most approaches have focused on changing the behavior of individuals with respect to diet and exercise. Almost all researchers agree that prevention could be the key strategy for controlling the current epidemic of obesity. Prevention may be achieved by changes in lifestyle through a variety of interventions targeting the urban environment, physical activity, time spent watching television and playing computer games and consumption of carbonated drinks. However, as yet, these strategies seem to have had little impact on the growing increase of the obesity epidemic. In this article, we aimed to discuss the effect of rapid urbanization on childhood obesity and to suggest solutions to this problem.
Topics: Child; Child Health Services; Child Welfare; Diet; Environment; Exercise; Humans; Pediatric Obesity; Sedentary Behavior; Urbanization
PubMed: 26831548
DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.1984 -
Current Obesity Reports Sep 2021With the growing obesity epidemic among children and adolescents, the evaluation of disease origin to slow disease progression is necessary. Racial disparities which are... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
With the growing obesity epidemic among children and adolescents, the evaluation of disease origin to slow disease progression is necessary. Racial disparities which are evident amid prevalence and treatment must be studied to counteract disease propagation.
RECENT FINDINGS
Disparities are pronounced among Black and Hispanic pediatric patients prior to conception and birth due to genetic composition and fetal environment. Postnatal environment and psychosocial influences can further increase a child/adolescent's propensity to increased weight. Current treatment options including nutrition, physical activity, behavior modification, pharmacotherapy, and surgery are underutilized in communities of color due to limited access to care and cost. Data is limited to demonstrate disparities among treatment of obesity in children and adolescents. The reviewed studies show the role of race on disease treatment. Increased research efforts, especially in pharmacotherapy and metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), will help combat obesity in pediatric communities of color.
Topics: Adolescent; Bariatric Surgery; Child; Exercise; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Pediatric Obesity; Weight Gain
PubMed: 33988825
DOI: 10.1007/s13679-021-00442-0 -
Environment International Oct 2021Urban environments are characterised by many factors that may influence children's lifestyle and increase the risk of childhood obesity, but multiple urban exposures...
BACKGROUND
Urban environments are characterised by many factors that may influence children's lifestyle and increase the risk of childhood obesity, but multiple urban exposures have scarcely been studied.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the association between multiple urban exposures and childhood obesity outcomes and weight-related behaviours.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study including 2213 children aged 9-12 years in Sabadell, Spain. We estimated ambient air pollution, green spaces, built and food environment, road traffic and road traffic noise at residential addresses through a total of 28 exposure variables in various buffers. Childhood obesity outcomes included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and body fat. Weight-related behaviours included diet (fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption), physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep duration and well-being. Associations between exposures (urban environment) and outcomes (obesity and behaviours) were estimated in single and multiple-exposure regression models and in a hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) analysis.
RESULTS
Forty percent of children were overweight or obese. In single exposure models, very few associations were observed between the urban exposures and obesity outcomes or weight-related behaviours after correction for multiple testing. In multiple exposure models, PM, denser unhealthy food environment and land use mix were statistically significant associated with childhood obesity outcomes (e.g 17.7 facilities/km increase of unhealthy food environment (OR overweight/obesity status) = 1.20 [95% CI: 1.01; 1.44]). Cluster analysis identified 5 clusters of urban exposures. Compared to the most neutral cluster, the cluster with high air pollution, road traffic, and road noise levels was associated with a higher BMI and higher odds of overweight and obesity (β (zBMI) = 0.17, [95% CI: 0.01, 0.17]; OR (overweight/obesity) = 1.36, [95% CI: 0.99, 1.85]); the clusters were not associated with the weight-related behaviours.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic study of many exposures in the urban environment suggests that an exposure pattern characterised by higher levels of ambient air pollution, road traffic and road traffic noise is associated with increased childhood obesity risk and that PM, land use mix and food environment are separately associated with obesity risk. These findings require follow-up in longitudinal studies and different settings.
Topics: Air Pollution; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Overweight; Pediatric Obesity; Schools
PubMed: 34144474
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106700