An index measuring adherence to New Zealand Infant Feeding Guidelines has convergent validity with maternal socio-demographic and health behaviours and with children's body size.

Using data from a nationally generalisable birth cohort, we aimed to: (i) describe the cohort's adherence to national evidence-based dietary guidelines using an Infant Feeding Index (IFI) and (ii) assess the IFI's convergent construct validity, by exploring associations with antenatal maternal socio-demographic and health behaviours and with child overweight/obesity and central adiposity at age 54 months. Data were from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort (n 6343). The IFI scores ranged from zero to twelve points, with twelve representing full adherence to the guidelines. Overweight/obesity was defined by BMI-for-age (based on the WHO Growth Standards). Central adiposity was defined as waist-to-height ratio > 90th percentile. Associations were tested using multiple linear regression and Poisson regression with robust variance (risk ratios, 95 % CI). Mean IFI score was 8·2 (sd 2·1). Maternal characteristics explained 29·1 % of variation in the IFI score. Maternal age, education and smoking had the strongest independent relationships with IFI scores. Compared with children in the highest IFI tertile, girls in the lowest and middle tertiles were more likely to be overweight/obese (1·46, 1·03, 2·06 and 1·56, 1·09, 2·23, respectively) and boys in the lowest tertile were more likely to have central adiposity (1·53, 1·02, 2·30) at age 54 months. Most infants fell short of meeting national Infant Feeding Guidelines. The associations between IFI score and maternal characteristics, and children's overweight/obesity/central adiposity, were in the expected directions and confirm the IFI's convergent construct validity.

Determinants of folic acid supplement use outside national recommendations for pregnant women: results from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with insufficient and excessive use of folic acid supplements (FAS) among pregnant women. DESIGN: A pregnancy cohort to which multinomial logistic regression models were applied to identify factors associated with duration and dose of FAS use. SETTING: The Growing Up in New Zealand child study, which enrolled pregnant women whose children were born in 2009-2010. SUBJECTS: Pregnant women (n 6822) enrolled into a nationally generalizable cohort. RESULTS: Ninety-two per cent of pregnant women were not taking FAS according to the national recommendation (4 weeks before until 12 weeks after conception), with 69 % taking insufficient FAS and 57 % extending FAS use past 13 weeks' gestation. The factors associated with extended use differed from those associated with insufficient use. Consistent with published literature, the relative risks of insufficient use were increased for younger women, those with less education, of non-European ethnicities, unemployed, who smoked cigarettes, whose pregnancy was unplanned or who had older children, or were living in more deprived households. In contrast, the relative risks of extended use were increased for women of higher socio-economic status or for whom this was their first pregnancy and decreased for women of Pacific v. European ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: In New Zealand, current use of FAS during pregnancy potentially exposes pregnant women and their unborn children to too little or too much folic acid. Further policy development is necessary to reduce current socio-economic inequities in the use of FAS.

Excesso de peso em crianças de pré-escolas: prevalência e fatores associados / Excess weight in preschoolers: prevalence and associated factors

OBJETIVO: Estudar a prevalência e os fatores associados ao excesso de peso em crianças matriculadas em escolas públicas dos estados do Rio Grande do Sul (RS) e Santa Catarina (SC). MÉTODOS: Realizou-se estudo transversal com crianças de idade entre quatro e seis anos. O desfecho estudado foi o excesso de peso, definido através do escore Z > 2DP para o Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC)/idade, em comparação com a população de referência da OMS 2006/2007. As medidas antropométricas de massa corporal e altura foram aferidas em duplicata, utilizando-se técnicas padronizadas conforme a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS). Os dados foram duplamente digitados utilizando o software EPI-INFO, versão 6.04. Foram calculadas frequências absolutas e relativas e médias (DP). Associações entre excesso de peso e demais variáveis foram avaliadas em modelo de Poisson de variância robusta. Foi utilizado o programa STATA versão 12.0 (p < 0,05). RESULTADOS: Foram avaliadas 4.914 crianças (RS 2.578 e SC 2.336). No RS, o excesso de peso foi de 14,4% (IC 95% = 13,1-15,8%) e, em SC, de 7,5% (IC 95% = 6,5-8,7%). As variáveis que apresentaram associação com o excesso de peso foram: número de moradores no domicílio; escolaridade materna; situação conjugal; número de filhos; idade materna ao nascimento do primeiro filho; idade gestacional; e o peso ao nascer. CONCLUSÃO: As crianças matriculadas nas pré-escolas públicas do RS apresentaram uma prevalência de excesso de peso duas vezes maior do que a identificada em SC, demonstrando uma diferença significativa na magnitude da obesidade infantil em dois estados brasileiros situados em uma mesma região.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence and factors associated with excess weight in children enrolled in public schools in the states of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Santa Catarina (SC). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, carried out with children aged 4 to 6 years. The studied outcome was excess weight, defined by z-score > two standard deviations for body mass index (BMI)/age, compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) reference population of 2006/2007. Anthropometric measurements of body mass and height were measured in duplicate using standard techniques, in accordance with the WHO. Data were double entered using EPI-INFO software, release 6.04. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated, as well as mean values and standard deviations. Associations between excess weight and other variables were assessed by using Poisson model with robust variance. STATA software release 12.0 was used (p < 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 4,914 children were evaluated (2,578 in RS and 2,336 in SC). In RS, the incidence of excess weight was 14.4% (95% CI = 13.1% to 15.8%) and in SC, 7.5% (95% CI = 6.5% to 8.7%). The variables associated with excess weight were number of household members, maternal education, marital status, number of children, mother's age at birth of first child, gestational age, and birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: Children enrolled in public preschools in RS had a two-fold higher excess weight prevalence than that identified in SC, demonstrating a significant difference in the magnitude of childhood obesity in two Brazilian states located in the same region.