Rossi Antonio, Chen Zheng Hao, Ahmadiankalati Mojtaba, Campisi Susan C, Reyna Myrtha E, Dempsey Kendra, Jenkins David, O'Connor Deborah, El-Sohemy Ahmed, Mandhane Piushkumar J, Simons Elinor, Turvey Stuart E, Moraes Theo J, Lu Zihang, Subbarao Padmaja, Miliku Kozeta
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Department of Public Health Sciences, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Int J Obes (Lond). 2025 May 12. doi: 10.1038/s41366-025-01792-8.
Obesity is a major public health concern affecting millions of people globally. Early identification of individuals susceptible to obesity is crucial for reducing the burden of obesity. Obesity is often defined based on body-mass-index (BMI), and tracking BMI trajectories from early childhood offers a valuable tool for risk stratification. Although the role of mothers in shaping these trajectories is well-recognized, the paternal influence on childhood obesity development remains a knowledge gap. We hypothesize that children of fathers with obesity have higher odds of being in the rapid BMI growth trajectory with stronger estimates when the mother is also with overweight or obesity.
We analyzed data from the Canadian CHILD Cohort Study, a pregnancy cohort in which both parents were enrolled in early pregnancy when BMI was assessed. The child's BMI was repeatedly collected from birth to age five. We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify offspring BMI z-score (BMIz) trajectory groups (age-and-sex standardized) and weighted multinomial logistic regression analysis to determine the associations between prenatal paternal BMI and offspring growth trajectories, stratified by maternal weight categories.
Among 2 238 participants, the mean prenatal paternal BMI was 27.44 (SD = 4.77), and 22.83% of fathers were with obesity. The four identified offspring BMIz trajectories were: low stable (n = 220, 9.83%), normative (n = 1 356, 60.59%), high stable (n = 572, 25.56%), and rapid BMIz growth trajectory (n = 90, 4.02%). Children of normal-weight mothers and fathers with obesity had 1.86 higher odds (OR: 1.86; 95%CI: 1.22-2.84) of being classified in the rapid growth BMIz trajectory, compared to children of normal-weight fathers. The odds of being in the rapid growth BMIz trajectory were higher when both mothers and fathers were with obesity (OR: 4.35; 95%CI: 2.65-7.14).
Children of fathers with obesity had higher odds of being in the rapid BMI growth trajectory, particularly when also the mother was with overweight or obesity. These results support the need for preconception advice and interventions for couples to optimize their offspring's health.
肥胖是一个重大的公共卫生问题，影响着全球数百万人。早期识别易患肥胖症的个体对于减轻肥胖负担至关重要。肥胖通常根据体重指数（BMI）来定义，追踪儿童早期的BMI轨迹为风险分层提供了一个有价值的工具。虽然母亲在塑造这些轨迹中的作用已得到充分认识，但父亲对儿童肥胖发展的影响仍然存在知识空白。我们假设，父亲患有肥胖症的儿童处于BMI快速增长轨迹的几率更高，当母亲也超重或肥胖时，这种几率的估计会更强。
我们分析了来自加拿大儿童队列研究的数据，这是一个妊娠队列，父母双方在孕早期登记时评估了BMI。从出生到五岁反复收集孩子的BMI。我们使用基于群体的轨迹模型来识别后代BMI z评分（BMIz）轨迹组（年龄和性别标准化），并使用加权多项逻辑回归分析来确定产前父亲BMI与后代生长轨迹之间的关联，按母亲体重类别分层。
在2238名参与者中，产前父亲的平均BMI为27.44（标准差=4.77），22.83%的父亲患有肥胖症。确定的四种后代BMIz轨迹为：低稳定（n=220，9.83%）、正常（n=1356，60.59%）、高稳定（n=572，25.56%）和BMIz快速增长轨迹（n=90，4.02%）。与体重正常的父亲的孩子相比，体重正常的母亲和患有肥胖症的父亲的孩子被归类为BMIz快速增长轨迹的几率高1.86倍（比值比：1.86；95%置信区间：1.22-2.84）。当母亲和父亲都患有肥胖症时，处于BMIz快速增长轨迹的几率更高（比值比：4.35；95%置信区间：2.65-7.14）。
父亲患有肥胖症的儿童处于BMI快速增长轨迹的几率更高，尤其是当母亲也超重或肥胖时。这些结果支持需要为夫妇提供孕前建议和干预措施，以优化其后代的健康。
