Bartoskova Polcrova Anna, Ksinan Jiskrova Gabriela, Bobak Martin, Pikhart Hynek, Klánová Jana, Ksinan Albert J
RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
Pediatr Obes. 2025 Apr;20(4):e13179. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.13179. Epub 2024 Oct 8.
Early life socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse experiences may lead to overeating, which is in turn associated with increased body mass index (BMI). However, recent evidence indicated that the association between childhood BMI and overeating might be bidirectional. This bidirectionality prompts the need for further investigation of early life predictors of BMI in childhood.
To longitudinally assess the directionality of the association between childhood BMI and perceived overeating and to investigate their antecedent early life predictors.
The sample included data from 5151 children from the ELSPAC study, collected between 18 months and 11 years of child age. The outcomes were child BMI and mother-reported overeating, assessed at the age of 3, 5, 7 and 11 years. Predictors included maternal BMI, maternal education, single parenthood, financial difficulties and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported by parents and paediatricians. The random intercept cross-lagged panel model was applied.
The mean child's BMI at age 3 was 15.59 kg/m and increased to 17.86 kg/m at age 11. The percentage of parent-reported overeating increased in the following period, from about 12% at age 3 to 17% at age 11. The results showed temporal stability in perceived overeating and BMI, with a bidirectional relationship strengthening over time. The child's BMI was associated with maternal BMI. Maternal BMI was positively associated with child-perceived overeating, but a stronger effect was found for ACEs. ACEs mediated the impact of maternal education, financial difficulties and single parenthood on overeating.
We observed stable bidirectional associations between BMI and perceived overeating. The results indicated two main pathways: one linked to maternal BMI and early childhood BMI increase followed by perceived overeating and the second associated with ACEs mediating the effect of early childhood social factors on perceived overeating, leading to gradual BMI gain.
儿童早期的社会经济劣势和不良经历可能导致暴饮暴食，而暴饮暴食又与体重指数（BMI）升高有关。然而，最近的证据表明，儿童期BMI与暴饮暴食之间的关联可能是双向的。这种双向性促使我们需要进一步研究儿童期BMI的早期预测因素。
纵向评估儿童期BMI与感知到的暴饮暴食之间关联的方向性，并调查它们的早期生活预测因素。
样本包括来自ELSPAC研究的5151名儿童的数据，这些数据是在儿童18个月至11岁之间收集的。结局指标是儿童BMI和母亲报告的暴饮暴食情况，分别在3岁、5岁、7岁和11岁时进行评估。预测因素包括母亲的BMI、母亲的教育程度、单亲家庭、经济困难以及父母和儿科医生报告的儿童期不良经历（ACEs）。应用随机截距交叉滞后面板模型。
3岁儿童的平均BMI为15.59kg/m²，11岁时增至17.86kg/m²。在随后的时期，父母报告的暴饮暴食百分比有所增加，从3岁时的约12%增至11岁时的17%。结果显示，感知到的暴饮暴食和BMI具有时间稳定性，且双向关系随时间增强。儿童BMI与母亲BMI相关。母亲BMI与儿童感知到的暴饮暴食呈正相关，但ACEs的影响更强。ACEs介导了母亲教育程度、经济困难和单亲家庭对暴饮暴食的影响。
我们观察到BMI与感知到的暴饮暴食之间存在稳定的双向关联。结果表明有两条主要途径：一条与母亲BMI和儿童早期BMI增加相关联，随后是感知到暴饮暴食；另一条与ACEs相关，ACEs介导了儿童早期社会因素对感知到暴饮暴食的影响，导致BMI逐渐增加。
