Infant feeding practices and body mass index up to 7.5 years in the French nationwide ELFE study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The infant diet represents one of the main modifiable determinants of early growth. This study aimed to investigate the associations of infant feeding practices with body mass index (BMI) until 7.5 years. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Analyses were based on data from the French nationwide ELFE birth cohort. Data on breastfeeding (BF) and complementary feeding (CF) were collected monthly from 2 to 10 months. Infant feeding practices were characterized using principal component analyses (PCA) and hierarchical ascendant classification. BMI z-score was computed at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7.5 years, from data collected in the child's health booklet; 7.5-year overweight was defined according to IOTF references. Associations between infant feeding practices and BMI were investigated by linear regression models adjusted for main confounders. RESULTS: Ever breastfeeding was not associated with BMI up to 7.5 years. Compared to intermediate breastfeeding duration (1 to <3 months), longer breastfeeding duration (≥6 months) was related to lower 1-year BMI, but not at older ages. Compared to the recommended age at CF introduction (4-6 months), early CF (<4 months) was related to higher BMI up to 5 years with a similar trend at 7.5 years, but not to the risk of overweight. The PCA patterns characterized by early baby cereal introduction and late food pieces introduction or by frequent intake of main food groups were related to a lower BMI up to 7.5 years. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding was related with a lower BMI in infancy but not thereafter, whereas an early CF initiation (<4 months) was associated with a higher BMI in childhood.

Trajectories of lifestyle patterns from 2 to 8 years of age and cardiometabolic risk in children: the GUSTO study.

BACKGROUND: Tracking combinations of lifestyle behaviours during childhood ("lifestyle pattern trajectories") can identify subgroups of children that might benefit from lifestyle interventions aiming to improve health outcomes later in life. However, studies on the critical transition period from early to middle childhood are limited. We aimed to describe lifestyle patterns trajectories in children from 2 to 8 years of age and evaluated their associations with cardiometabolic risk markers at age 8 years in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort. METHODS: Twelve lifestyle behaviours related to child's diet, physical activity, screen use, and sleep were ascertained using questionnaires at ages 2, 5, and 8 years. Age-specific lifestyle patterns were derived using principal component analysis and trajectories were determined using group-based multi-trajectory modelling. Child cardiometabolic risk markers were assessed at age 8 years, and associations with trajectories examined using multiple regression, adjusted for confounders. RESULTS: Among 546 children, two lifestyle patterns "healthy" and "unhealthy" were observed at ages 2, 5, and 8 years separately. Three trajectory groups from 2 to 8 years were identified: consistently healthy (11%), consistently unhealthy (18%), and mixed pattern (71%). Children in the consistently unhealthy group (vs. mixed pattern) had increased odds of pre-hypertension (OR = 2.96 [95% CI 1.18-7.41]) and higher levels of diastolic blood pressure (ß = 1.91 [0.27-3.55] mmHg), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (ß = 0.43 [0.13-0.74]), triglycerides (ß = 0.11 [0.00-0.22] mmol/L), and metabolic syndrome score (ß = 0.85 [0.20-1.49]), but not with BMI z-score or any anthropometric measurements. The consistently healthy group showed no differences in cardiometabolic outcomes compared to the mixed pattern group. CONCLUSION: Three distinct lifestyle pattern trajectories were identified from early to middle childhood. Children in the consistently unhealthy lifestyle group did not have a raised BMI but was associated with several elevated cardiometabolic risk markers. These findings suggest the potential benefits of initiating holistic lifestyle interventions to improve children's health and well-being from an early age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: NCT01174875. Name of registry: ClinicalTrials.gov. URL of registry: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT01174875 . Date of registration: August 4, 2010. Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: June 2009.

Social patterning of childhood overweight in the French national ELFE cohort.

An inverse social gradient in early childhood overweight has been consistently described in high-income countries; however, less is known about the role of migration status. We studied the social patterning of overweight in preschool children according to the mother's socio-economic and migration background. For 9250 children of the French ELFE birth cohort with body mass index collected at age 3.5 years, we used nested logistic regression to investigate the association of overweight status in children with maternal educational level, occupation, household income and migration status. Overall, 8.3% (95%CI [7.7-9.0]) of children were classified as overweight. The odds of overweight was increased for children from immigrant mothers (OR 2.22 [95% CI 1.75-2.78]) and descendants of immigrant mothers (OR 1.35 [1.04-2.78]) versus non-immigrant mothers. The highest odds of overweight was also observed in children whose mothers had low education, were unemployed or students, or were from households in the lowest income quintile. Our findings confirm that socio-economic disadvantage and migration status are risk factors for childhood overweight. However, the social patterning of overweight did not apply uniformly to all variables. These new and comprehensive insights should inform future public health interventions aimed at tackling social inequalities in childhood overweight.

Lifestyle patterns in European preschoolers: Associations with socio-demographic factors and body mass index.

BACKGROUND: Energy balance-related behaviours (EBRBs), that is, dietary intake, screen, outdoor play and sleep, tend to combine into 'lifestyle patterns', with potential synergistic influences on health. To date, studies addressing this theme mainly focused on school children and rarely accounted for sleep, with a cross-country perspective. OBJECTIVES: We aimed at comparing lifestyle patterns among preschool-aged children across Europe, their associations with socio-demographic factors and their links with body mass index (BMI). METHODS: Harmonized data on 2-5-year-olds participating in nine European birth cohorts from the EU Child Cohort Network were used (EBRBs, socio-demographics and anthropometrics). Principal component analysis and multivariable linear and logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS: The most consistent pattern identified across cohorts was defined by at least three of the following EBRBs: discretionary consumption, high screen time, low outdoor play time and low sleep duration. Consistently, children from low-income households and born to mothers with low education level had higher scores on this pattern compared to their socioeconomically advantaged counterparts. Furthermore, it was associated with higher BMI z-scores in the Spanish and Italian cohorts (ß = 0.06, 95% CI = [0.02; 0.10], both studies). CONCLUSION: These findings may be valuable in informing early multi-behavioural interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities in health at a European scale.

Impact of parental lifestyle patterns in the preconception and pregnancy periods on childhood obesity.

Introduction: High prevalence of overweight and obesity already observed in preschool children suggests the involvement of early-life risk factors. Preconception period and pregnancy are crucial windows for the implementation of child obesity prevention interventions with parental lifestyle factors as relevant targets. So far, most studies have evaluated their role separately, with only a few having investigated their potential synergistic effect on childhood obesity. Our objective was to investigate parental lifestyle patterns in the preconception and pregnancy periods and their association with the risk of child overweight after 5 years. Materials and methods: We harmonized and interpreted results from four European mother-offspring cohorts participating in the EndObesity Consortium [EDEN, France; Elfe, France; Lifeways, Ireland; and Generation R, Netherlands] with data available for 1,900, 18,000, 1,100, and 9,500 families, respectively. Lifestyle factors were collected using questionnaires and included parental smoking, body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. We applied principal component analyses to identify parental lifestyle patterns in preconception and pregnancy. Their association with risk of overweight (including obesity; OW-OB) and BMI z-scores between 5 and 12 years were assessed using cohort-specific multivariable logistic and linear and regression models (adjusted for potential confounders including parental age, education level, employment status, geographic origin, parity, and household income). Results: Among the various lifestyle patterns derived in all cohorts, the two explaining the most variance were characterized by (1) "high parental smoking, low maternal diet quality (and high maternal sedentary behavior in some cohorts)" and, (2) "high parental BMI and low gestational weight gain." Patterns characterized by high parental BMI, smoking, low diet quality or high sedentary lifestyle before or during pregnancy were associated with higher risk of OW-OB in children, and BMI z-score at any age, with consistent strengths of associations in the main cohorts, except for lifeways. Conclusion: This project provides insight into how combined parental lifestyle factors in the preconception and pregnancy periods are associated with the future risk of child obesity. These findings are valuable to inform family-based and multi-behavioural child obesity prevention strategies in early life.

Cross-sectional and prospective associations between behavioural patterns and adiposity in school-aged children.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioural patterns are important in understanding the synergistic effect of multiple health behaviours on childhood adiposity. Most previous evidence assessing associations between patterns and adiposity were cross-sectional and investigated two or three behaviour domains within patterns. This study aimed to identify behavioural patterns comprising four behaviour domains and investigate associations with adiposity risk in children. DESIGN: Parent-report and accelerometry data were used to capture daily dietary, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep data. Variables were standardised and included in the latent profile analysis to derive behavioural patterns. Trained researchers measured children's height, weight and waist circumference using standardised protocols. Associations of patterns and adiposity measures were tested using multiple linear regression. SETTING: Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 337 children followed up at 6-8 years (T2) and 9-11 years (T3). RESULTS: Three patterns derived at 6-8 years were broadly identified to be healthy, unhealthy and mixed patterns. Patterns at 9-11 years were dissimilar except for the unhealthy pattern. Individual behaviours characterising the patterns varied over time. No significant cross-sectional or prospective associations were observed with adiposity at both time points; however, children displaying the unhealthy pattern had higher adiposity measures than other patterns. CONCLUSION: Three non-identical patterns were identified at 6-8 and 9-11 years. The individual behaviours that characterised patterns (dominant behaviours) at both ages are possible drivers of the patterns obtained and could explain the lack of associations with adiposity. Identifying individual behaviour pattern drivers and strategic intervention are key to maintain and prevent the decline of healthy patterns.

Is breastfeeding duration related to the health of migrant mother-child dyads experiencing homelessness? The ENFAMS cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Literature from the general population shows a consensus about the health benefits associated with breastfeeding for both mothers and children. However, studies investigating these issues in the context of homelessness and migration are rare. This research aimed to examine the relations of any breastfeeding duration with health outcomes among migrant mother-child dyads experiencing homelessness. METHODS: Data were collected among sheltered and mainly foreign-born mothers experiencing homelessness, and their children aged 6 months to 5 years, from the ENFAMS cross-sectional survey (n = 481, 2013-Great Paris area). Any breastfeeding duration, along with various health outcomes of both the mother and her child, was ascertained by face-to-face questionnaires administered by trained interviewers to mothers (perceived physical and emotional health and maternal depression) or by trained psychologists to children (adaptive behaviours). Nurses measured weight and height [thus allowing them to calculate body mass index (BMI)] and haemoglobin concentration (mother-child dyad) and maternal blood pressure. Multivariable linear and modified Poisson regression analyses were performed to examine outcome-wide associations between any breastfeeding duration ≥6 months and the various mother-child outcomes. RESULTS: Any breastfeeding ≥6 months was associated with lower systolic blood pressure in mothers (B = -0.40, 95% confidence interval = -0.68 to -0.12). No association was observed with the other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The relevance of supporting breastfeeding to improve mothers' physical health holds true in the context of migration and homelessness. It is therefore important to support breastfeeding in these settings. Moreover, given the documented social complexity of breastfeeding practices, interventions should take mothers' socio-cultural heritage and the structural barriers they face into account.

The impact of income-support interventions on life course risk factors and health outcomes during childhood: a systematic review in high income countries.

BACKGROUND: In high income countries one in five children still lives in poverty, which is known to adversely shape the life course health trajectory of these children. However, much less is understood on whether social and fiscal policies have the capacity to reverse this damage, which intervention is likely to be most effective and when these interventions should be delivered to maximise their impact. This systematic review attempts to address these questions by looking at the impact of income-support interventions, delivered during the first 1,000 days of life, on cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory and mental health outcomes. METHODS: The review was restricted to experimental or quasi experimental studies conducted in high income countries. Studies were retrieved from multidisciplinary databases as well as health, economic, social sciences-specific literature browsers. All papers retrieved through the search strategy were double screened at title, abstract and full text stage. Relevant data of the selected studies were extracted and collected in tables, then summarised via narrative synthesis approach. Robustness of findings was assessed by tabulating impact by health outcome, type of intervention and study design. RESULTS: Overall, 16 relevant papers were identified, including 15 quasi-experimental studies and one randomized control trial (RCT). Income-support interventions included were unconditional/conditional cash transfers, income tax credit and minimum wage salary policies. Most studies were conducted in United States and Canada. Overall, the evidence suggested limited effect on mental health indicators but a positive, albeit small, effect of most policies on birth weight outcomes. Despite this, according to few studies that tried to extrapolate the results into public health terms, the potential number of negative outcomes averted might be consistent. CONCLUSIONS: Income-support interventions can positively affect some of the health outcomes of interest in this review, including birth weight and mental health. Given the large number of people targeted by these programs, one could infer that - despite small - the observed effect may be still relevant at population level. Nonetheless, the limited generalisability of the evidence gathered hampers firm conclusions. For the future, the breadth and scope of this literature need to be broadened to fully exploit the potential of these interventions and understand how their public health impact can be maximised.

Social determinants of inadequate prenatal care utilization in sheltered homeless mothers in the Greater Paris area in France.

Background: Sheltered homeless families suffer from deleterious living conditions such as housing instability (i.e., moving from one shelter to another) that could be an additional barrier to healthcare utilization. Few studies have specifically examined perinatal health in homeless mothers and their utilization of prenatal healthcare. This study aimed to identify social determinants such as living conditions (i.e., housing instability) associated with inadequate prenatal care utilization (PCU) in sheltered homeless mothers in the Greater Paris area in France. Methods: The homeless children and families cross-sectional survey [ENFAMS: (Enfants et familles sans logement)] was performed on a random representative sample of homeless families living in shelters in the greater Paris area in 2013. Following French guidelines, PCU was deemed inadequate if one or more of the following criteria was met: attending fewer than 50% of recommended prenatal visits, PCU initiation after the first trimester of pregnancy, and fewer than three ultrasounds during the entire pregnancy. Families were interviewed in 17 languages by trained peer interviewers in face-to-face interviews. Structural equation modeling was used to identify factors associated with inadequate PCU and to estimate correlations between them. Results: This study analyzed data on 121 homeless sheltered mothers who had at least one child less than one year old. They were socially disadvantaged and most were born outside France. One in five (19.3%) had inadequate PCU. Associated factors were socio-demographic characteristics (young age, primiparous), health status (dissatisfaction with self-perceived general health), and living conditions (housing instability in the second and third trimesters). Conclusion: It is essential to reduce housing instability to help sheltered mothers to benefit from social, territorial and medical support and healthcare utilization. Housing stability for pregnant sheltered homeless mothers should be a priority to ensure better PCU and guarantee the newborn's health as much as possible.

Parental lifestyle patterns around pregnancy and risk of childhood obesity in four European birth cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: A high prevalence of excess weight in children younger than 5 years suggests the involvement of early-life risk factors. The preconception and pregnancy periods are crucial stages for the implementation of interventions to prevent childhood obesity. Most studies so far have evaluated the effects of early-life factors separately, with only a few investigating the combined effect of parental lifestyle factors. Our objective was to fill the literature gap regarding parental lifestyle factors in the preconception and pregnancy periods and to study their association with the risk of overweight in children after the age of 5 years. METHODS: We harmonised and interpreted data from four European mother-offspring cohorts (EDEN [comprising 1900 families], Elfe [comprising 18 000 families], Lifeways [comprising 1100 families], and Generation R [comprising 9500 families]). Written informed consent was obtained from parents of all involved children. Lifestyle factor data collected through questionnaires comprised parental smoking, BMI, gestational weight gain, diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. We applied principal component analyses to identify multiple lifestyle patterns in preconception and pregnancy. Their association with child BMI z-score and risk of overweight (including obesity, overweight and obesity, as defined by the International Task Force reference) between the ages of 5 and 12 years were assessed using cohort-specific multivariable linear and logistic regression models (adjusted for confounders including parental age, education level, employment status, geographic origin, parity, and household income). FINDINGS: Among the various lifestyle patterns identified in all cohorts, the two that better explained variance were high parental smoking plus low maternal diet quality or high maternal sedentary behaviour, and high parental BMI plus low gestational weight gain. Overall, we observed that patterns characterised by high parental BMI, smoking, low-quality diet, or sedentary lifestyle before or during pregnancy were associated with higher BMI z-scores and risk of overweight and obesity in children aged 5-12 years. INTERPRETATION: Our data contribute to a better understanding of how parental lifestyle factors might be associated with the risk of childhood obesity. These findings are valuable to inform future family-based and multi-behavioural child obesity prevention strategies in early life. FUNDING: European Union's Horizon 2020 under the ERA-NET Cofund action (reference 727565) and European Joint Programming Initiative "A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life" (JPI HDHL, EndObesity).

The effectiveness of interventions during the first 1,000 days to improve energy balance-related behaviors or prevent overweight/obesity in children from socio-economically disadvantaged families of high-income countries: a systematic review.

This narrative systematic review examined effectiveness of interventions during pregnancy and up to 2 years of age in improving energy balance-related behaviors or prevent overweight/obesity in children from families experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. We identified 24 interventions, from 33 articles, since 1990. Overall, despite their heterogeneity and variability in internal and external validity, there was some evidence of beneficial impact of interventions on obesity risk (4/15), and associated behaviors, e.g.: breastfeeding (9/18), responsive feeding (11/16), diet (7/8), sedentary (1/3) and movement (4/7) behaviors, and sleep (1/2). The most effective interventions aimed at promoting breastfeeding commenced antenatally; this was similar for the prevention of obesity, provided the intervention continued for at least 2 years postnatally and was multi-behavioral. Effective interventions were more likely to target first-time mothers and involve professional delivery agents, multidisciplinary teams and peer groups. Among ethnic/racial minorities, interventions delivered by lay agents had some impact on dietary behavior but not weight outcomes. Co-creation with stakeholders, including parents, and adherence to theoretical frameworks were additional ingredients for more pragmatic, inclusive, non-judgmental, and effective programs. The growing body of evidence on obesity prevention interventions targeting families experiencing socio-economic disadvantage is promising for reducing early inequalities in obesity risk.

Early origins of metabolic and overall health in young adults: An outcome-wide analysis in a general cohort population.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term consequences of impaired fetal growth are well documented for cardiometabolic outcomes. We propose an outcome-wide analysis of the association between birth weight (BW) and long-term health in a large contemporary adult cohort. METHODS: The study included 73,315 participants under 60 years with a reliable BW from the French nationwide Constances cohort. Low and high BW (LBW/HBW) were defined as BW<10th and >90th of sex-specific percentiles. Associations between BW and outcomes were analyzed with a sex-stratified modified Poisson regression adjusted for the participant's age, maternal health history, geographical origins, and parents' occupation. RESULTS: Mean BW (10th -90th percentile) was 3390 g (2800-4000) for men and 3247g (2680-3820) for women. In men, LBW was associated with (RR [CI95]): fasting glucose impairment (1.33 [1.16;1.52]); hypertriglyceridemia (1.27 [1.17;1.37]); high blood pressure (HBP) (1.15 [1.07;1.24]); non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD (1.13 [1.02;1.24]); high LDL-cholesterol (1.12 [1.05;1.21]); anxiety (1.12 [1.01;1.24]) and depression (1.09 [1.00;1.18]). HBW was associated with obesity (1.21 [1.08;1.35]). In women, LBW was associated with fasting glucose impairment (1.31 [1.12;1.54]); HBP (1.27 [1.16;1.4]); hypertriglyceridemia (1.20 [1.05;1.36]); anxiety (1.10 [1.03;1.17]); and asthma (1.09 [1;1.19}). HBW was associated with obesity (1.24 [1.13;1.36]) and NAFLD (1.20 [1.06;1.37). LBW and HBW were associated with a lesser likelihood of tertiary education attainment in both sexes. Participants' education level was a significant partial mediator of the association between LBW and outcomes. CONCLUSION: Extreme BW is associated with long-term health. It should be considered in the personalized prevention of cardiometabolic, respiratory, and mental health conditions in adulthood, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged populations.

Differing associations with childhood outcomes using behavioural patterns derived from three data reduction techniques.

BACKGROUND: Behavioural patterns help to understand the influence of multiple health behaviours on childhood outcomes. Behavioural patterns derived using different data reduction techniques can be non-identical and may differentially associate with childhood outcomes. This study aimed to compare associations of behavioural patterns derived from three methods with three childhood outcomes. METHODS: Data were from the Healthy Active Preschool and Primary Years study when children were 6-8 years old (n = 432). Cluster analysis (CA), latent profile analysis (LPA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to derive behavioural patterns from children's diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep data. Behavioural data were obtained through parent report and accelerometry. Children's height, weight and waist circumference were measured by trained study staff. Health-related quality of life data were obtained using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and academic performance scores were from a national test. Associations between derived patterns from each method and each of the outcomes were tested using linear regression (adjusted for child age and sex and parent education). RESULTS: Three patterns were each derived using CA and LPA, and four patterns were derived using PCA. Each method identified a healthy, an unhealthy and a mixed (comprising healthy and unhealthy behaviours together) pattern. Differences in associations were observed between pattern groups from CA and LPA and pattern scores from PCA with the three outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies in associations across pattern derivation methods suggests that the choice of method can influence subsequent associations with outcomes. This has implications for comparison across studies that have employed different methods.

Prospective associations of lifestyle patterns in early childhood with socio-emotional and behavioural development and BMI: An outcome-wide analysis of the EDEN mother-child cohort.

BACKGROUND: Children's energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB), comprising diet, screen time, physical activity, and sleep, combine into "lifestyle patterns", which may exert a synergistic effect on health. To date, studies investigating this synergy have primarily focused on obesity risk, without addressing other facets of health. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prospective associations of preschoolers' lifestyle patterns with socio-emotional, behavioural, and body mass index (BMI) outcomes at 8 years. METHODS: Participants were 876 children from the EDEN mother-child cohort. Three lifestyle patterns (unhealthy, healthy, and mixed) were previously identified at age 5, separately in boys and girls. At age 8, height and weight measures generated BMI z-scores while social-emotional and behavioural development was assessed by parents using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Drawing from the outcome-wide approach, sex- and outcome-specific adjusted linear regressions were fitted. RESULTS: Boys' adherence to a healthy lifestyle pattern (combining a nutrient-dense diet and limited screen time) at 5 years was positively associated with prosocial behaviours (ß = 0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01, 0.26) and inversely related to hyperactivity-inattention symptoms (ß = -0.12; 95% CI -0.23, -0.01) at 8 years. Girls' mixed lifestyle pattern (sugar or artificially sweetened beverages, high screen, physical activity and low sleep times) was associated with prosocial behaviours (ß = 0.12; 95% CI 0.01, 0.23). There was no evidence of associations between lifestyle patterns and BMI z-scores. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest synergistic benefits of engaging in a combination of optimal EBRBs, especially in boys, and support intervention efforts at preschool age to enhance some dimensions of their later socio-emotional and behavioural development.

Lifestyle Patterns of Children Experiencing Homelessness: Family Socio-Ecological Correlates and Links with Physical and Mental Health.

Diet, screen time, physical activity, and sleep combine into lifestyle patterns with synergistic effects on health. This study aimed to identify lifestyle patterns in children without housing and assess their associations with physical and mental health and family socio-ecological factors. In the 2013 ENFAMS cross-sectional survey (children aged 6-12 experiencing homelessness, Greater Paris area, n = 235), parents reported socio-ecological factors, children's behaviours, and mental health (the latter was also child-reported). Nurses measured children's haemoglobin concentrations and body mass index. Principal component analysis was used to derive sex-specific lifestyle patterns. Hierarchical linear regressions and "outcome-wide" analyses assessed, respectively, these patterns' relations to health and family socio-ecological factors. A rather healthy lifestyle pattern-similarly characterized by diverse diet and high sleep time-was identified, with slight differences by sex. Scores for this pattern were higher for children in food-secure or higher-income households, whose parents were proficient in French, who slept longer, or who received more social support compared to their counterparts, with some nuances by sex. Higher scores for this pattern were associated with higher prosocial behaviour scores (girls) and lower anxiety and hyperactivity-inattention symptoms scores (boys), but not with physical health. For this underserved and understudied population, the results highlight the importance of family socio-ecological factors in shaping the lifestyles and mental health of children.

Paternal Diet before Conception and Its Social Determinants in the Elfe Cohort.

This study aimed to characterize paternal diet during the peri-conception period and its associated characteristics. These cross-sectional analyses were based on 998 fathers from the French nationwide ELFE birth cohort recruited in 2011. Fathers' diet before mothers' pregnancies was assessed by a 46-item food frequency questionnaire. Six exploratory dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis: "Diverse diet", "Balanced", "Alcohol", "Snacking", "Bread and cheese", and "Processed products". Older age was related to higher scores for the "Balanced", "Alcohol", and "Snacking" patterns, and high education level with high scores on the "Balanced" pattern and low scores on the "Processed products" pattern. Unemployment and having a first child were related to high scores on the "Alcohol" pattern. Smoking was positively related to "Alcohol" and "Processed products" patterns. A restrictive diet was associated with high scores on the "Balanced" and "Processed products" patterns and low scores on "Alcohol", "Snacking", and "Bread and cheese" patterns. Maternal dietary patterns, identified in a previous analysis, were moderately and positively related to the similar patterns among fathers. These findings are important for screening fathers at risk of a suboptimal diet and for accounting for this factor in future studies to examine the specific influence of paternal diet on a child's health and development.

Sociodemographic and behavioural factors of adherence to the no-screen guideline for toddlers among parents from the French nationwide Elfe birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Excessive screen time in infancy and childhood has been associated with consequences on children's development and health. International guidelines call for no screen time before age 2 years, whereas in France, the most prominent guidelines recommend no screen before age 3 years. However, data are lacking on parental adherence to the no-screen guideline for toddlers and factors of adherence in France. Using data from the French nationwide Elfe birth cohort, we estimated adherence to the no-screen guideline at age 2 years and examined related factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, parental leisure activities and screen time. METHODS: In 2011, 18,329 newborns and their parents were enrolled in 349 randomly selected maternity units across mainland France. At age 2 years, screen exposure of 13,117 toddlers was reported by parents in phone interviews. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, parental leisure activities and screen time were collected from both parents. Three patterns of parental leisure activities were derived by principal component analysis: literate (e.g.,reading), screen-based, and physical/artistic activities. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of sociodemographic characteristics, parental leisure activities and parental screen time with adherence to the no-screen guideline for toddlers. RESULTS: Overall, 1809/13,117 (13.5%) families adhered to the no-screen guideline for toddlers. Adherence was reduced with maternal age < 40 years, low parental education, single-parent household and parental migration status. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, adherence to the guideline was positively associated with a parental literate activity pattern (mothers: odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.15 [1.08, 1.22]); fathers: 1.15 [1.07, 1.23]) and negatively with a screen-based activity pattern (mothers: 0.73 [0.69, 0.77]; fathers: 0.81 [0.76, 0.87]). With each additional hour of parental screen time, mothers and fathers were less likely to adhere to the guideline (mothers: adjusted odds ratio 0.80 [0.77, 0.83]; fathers: 0.88 [0.85, 0.91]). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the no-screen guideline for toddlers in France was low. Parental leisure activities and parental screen time are major factors of adherence to the no-screen guideline and could be considered in targeted public health interventions.

Maternal diet during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment up to age 3.5 years: the nationwide Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance (ELFE) birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Dietary guidelines available to pregnant women are made to improve maternal health and fetal development. But their adequacy to sustain offspring neurodevelopment has remained understudied. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the association between compliance with nutritional guidelines during pregnancy and neurodevelopment in preschool children. METHODS: The analyses were based on data for 6780 to 11,278 children from the Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance (ELFE) study, a nationwide birth cohort. Maternal diet during the last 3 mo of pregnancy was evaluated at delivery by using a validated 125-item FFQ. From this FFQ, food group consumption, a diet quality score (adapted National Health and Nutrition Program Guideline Score), and a nutrient intake score (Probability of Adequate Nutrient intake based Diet quality index) were calculated and dietary patterns were derived by principal component analysis. Child neurodevelopment was reported by parents at 1 and 3.5 y with the Child Development Inventory (CDI-1, CDI-3.5) and at 2 y with the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-2), and assessed by a trained investigator at 3.5 y with the Picture Similarities test (British Ability Scales, PS-3.5). Associations between maternal diet and child neurodevelopment were assessed by multivariable linear regression models on standardized variables. RESULTS: Higher nutrient intake score was associated with higher neurodevelopmental scores from 1 to 3.5 y (ß = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.06 for CDI-1; ß = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.05 for MB-2; and ß = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.05 for CDI-3.5). Higher fruit and vegetables or fish intake and lower pork-meat products intake were related to higher CDI-3.5 scores (ß = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.05 for fruit and vegetables; ß = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.05 for fish; and ß = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.00 for pork-meat products). A higher score on the processed food pattern was associated with poorer neurodevelopmental score at 1 y (ß = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.06, -0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Higher diet quality during pregnancy was associated with higher parent-reported neurodevelopmental scores in early childhood. The negative association of pork-meat products consumption with early neurodevelopmental scores needs to be further confirmed.

Cord blood leptin level and a common variant of its receptor as determinants of the BMI trajectory: The EDEN mother-child cohort.

BACKGROUND: Cord blood leptin is an indicator of neonatal fat mass and could shape postnatal adiposity trajectories. Investigating genetic polymorphisms of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) could help understand the mechanisms involved. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the association of cord blood leptin level and the LEPR rs9436303 polymorphism, with body mass index (BMI) at adiposity peak (AP) and age at adiposity rebound (AR). METHODS: In the EDEN cohort, BMI at AP and age at AR were estimated with polynomial mixed models, for 1713 and 1415 children, respectively. Multivariable linear regression models allowed for examining the associations of cord blood leptin level and LEPR rs9436303 genotype with BMI at AP and age at AR adjusted for potential confounders including birth size groups. We also tested interactions between cord blood leptin level and rs9436303 genotype. RESULTS: Increased leptin level was associated with reduced BMI at AP and early age at AR (comparing the highest quintile of leptin level to the others). Rs9436303 G-allele carriage was associated with increased BMI at AP and later age at AR but did not modulate the association with leptin level. CONCLUSION: These results illustrate the role of early life body composition and the intrauterine environment in the programming of adiposity in childhood.