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Adolescent Growth in Overweight and Non‐Overweight Children in J apan: a Multilevel Analysis
Author(s) -
Zheng Wei,
Suzuki Kohta,
Sato Miri,
Yokomichi Hiroshi,
Shinohara Ryoji,
Yamagata Zentaro
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/ppe.12116
Subject(s) - overweight , medicine , gerontology , obesity
Background A trend towards earlier pubertal growth has been identified along with an increase in childhood obesity rates. The study aimed to identify the differences in growth patterns during adolescence between overweight/obese and non‐overweight children in J apan. Methods The participants were children from a prospective cohort study called P roject K oshu, who were born between 1991 and 1998, in J apan. They were classified as overweight/obese or non‐overweight according to their body mass index ( BMI ) in the first grade of elementary school (6−7 years of age) and were followed until graduation from junior high school (14−15 years of age). Anthropometric data were collected at an annual medical check‐up in their school. Height gain trajectories were constructed by BMI categories using multilevel analyses. This analysis was stratified by gender. Results Overall, 111/850 (13.1%) girls and 109/911(12%) boys were defined as overweight/obese at baseline. Approximately 80% of the children were followed until the third grades of junior high school. Overweight/obese girls gained more height in the first half period, reached their peak height gain about a year earlier than non‐overweight girls, and experienced an earlier decline in height gain. Similarly, overweight/obese boys gained more height than non‐overweight boys initially. Additionally, non‐overweight boys maintained a higher rate of height gain from the age at peak height gain, although the age at peak height gain did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions The overweight/obese children grew faster than the non‐overweight children in the early pubertal stages, and the non‐overweight children caught up and exceeded in height gain at a later stage.