Renzaho A M N, Oldroyd J, Burns C, Waters E, Riggs E, Renzaho C
School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, 21 Burwood Highway, Burwood 3125, Victoria, Australia.
Int J Pediatr Obes. 2009;4(2):73-80. doi: 10.1080/17477160802264507.
To document the relationship between childhood nutrition status and ethnicity (defined as the birthplace of primary carer and English language use at home) using a nationally representative sample of 4- to 5-year-old children.
Cross-sectional population survey of 4 983 4- to 5-year-old children (2 537 boys and 2 446 girls) as part of Wave 1 (2004) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
Overweight/obesity and thinness using the newly published body mass index cut-off points of Cole (2007).
In total, 20.6% (95%CI 19.5, 21.7) of children aged 4 to 5 years were estimated to be overweight or obese, while 1.0% (95%CI 0.8, 1.3) was thin. Unadjusted analyses showed a significant relationship between childhood overweight/obesity and primary carer's country of birth (chi2=15.9, p<0.01), but the significance became minimal after adjusting for socio-economic and demographic factors. The adjusted model suggests that boys of primary carer's born in Europe (excluding UK and Ireland) were less likely to be overweight/obese than boys whose primary carers were born in Australia, but the overall effect size was negligible. No difference was found for girls. In addition, boys who mainly spoke English at home were less likely to be overweight/obese (OR=0.49; 95%CI 0.27, 0.88; p=0.017) and thin (OR=0.27; 95%CI 0.12, 0.62; p=0.002) than boys who spoke a language other than English at home. No difference was found for girls.
There is a relationship between main language spoken at home and nutritional status in 4-5-year-old boys but not girls. The use of English language at home may be a protective factor for normal weight in young boys. After adjustment for socio-economic and demographics characteristics, there was a negligible relationship between overweight/obesity in children and their primary carer's country of birth.
利用全国具有代表性的4至5岁儿童样本，记录儿童营养状况与种族（定义为主要照料者的出生地以及在家中使用的语言）之间的关系。
对4983名4至5岁儿童（2537名男孩和2446名女孩）进行横断面人口调查，作为澳大利亚儿童纵向研究第一波（2004年）的一部分。
采用Cole（2007年）新公布的体重指数切点来评估超重/肥胖和消瘦情况。
总体而言，估计4至5岁儿童中有20.6%（95%置信区间19.5，21.7）超重或肥胖，而1.0%（95%置信区间0.8，1.3）消瘦。未经调整的分析显示儿童超重/肥胖与主要照料者的出生国家之间存在显著关系（χ²=15.9，p<0.01），但在调整社会经济和人口因素后，这种显著性变得极小。调整后的模型表明，主要照料者出生在欧洲（不包括英国和爱尔兰）的男孩比主要照料者出生在澳大利亚的男孩超重/肥胖的可能性更小，但总体效应大小可忽略不计。女孩之间未发现差异。此外，在家中主要说英语的男孩比在家中说英语以外语言的男孩超重/肥胖的可能性更小（比值比=0.49；95%置信区间0.27，0.88；p=0.017）且消瘦的可能性更小（比值比=0.27；95%置信区间0.12，0.62；p=0.002）。女孩之间未发现差异。
4至5岁男孩在家中使用的主要语言与营养状况之间存在关系，而女孩则不存在。在家中使用英语可能是幼儿正常体重的一个保护因素。在调整社会经济和人口特征后，儿童超重/肥胖与其主要照料者的出生国家之间的关系可忽略不计。
