Efficacy of an accelerated vaccination schedule against hepatitis E virus infection in pregnant rabbits.

An important goal of the Hepatitis E virus (HEV) vaccine is to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by different HEV genotypes during pregnancy, but studies directly evaluating maternal vaccination for HEV are lacking. Here we report maternal vaccination using HEV 239 vaccine in a pregnant rabbit model. Two dose of accelerated vaccination schedule (0, 7 days) induced high titers of anti-HEV protective antibodies in a short period of time in pregnant rabbits, which could protect the pregnant rabbits from HEV infection and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In addition, the immunized rabbits transfer maternal antibodies to pups through the placenta and breast milk, which protect neonates against HEV infection. Our results suggest that, besides vaccinating nonpregnant individuals, HEV 239 vaccine may also be discreetly considered for maternal vaccination.

Body Mass Index Trajectory and Incident Hypertension: Results From a Longitudinal Cohort of Chinese Children and Adolescents, 2006-2016.

Objectives. To identify body mass index (BMI) trajectories in Chinese children and to compare the risk of incident high blood pressure (HBP) across trajectory groups.Methods. A total of 9286 children were included. The mean age at baseline was 8.9 years; age at endpoint ranged between 16 and 18 years. At least 8 measurements were obtained from each involved child. We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify BMI trajectory groups in each sex. We used blood pressure from each measurement to define HBP.Results. We identified 4 BMI trajectories for each sex. Compared with the low trajectory group, the hazard ratios of HBP in the higher trajectory groups ranged from 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 1.23) to 2.00 (95% CI = 1.78, 2.27) during follow-up, and HBP risk at late adolescence ranged from 1.36 (95% CI = 1.22, 1.52) to 3.63 (95% CI = 3.12, 4.21). All trend P values across trajectories were less than .001. In terms of population level, overweight started 3 years earlier than HBP.Conclusions. Children of higher BMI trajectories had a higher risk of HBP during adolescence. The transition period from overweight to HBP onset could be critical for HBP prevention.

Subnational variation of stunting, wasting and malnutrition in Chinese primary-school children between 2010 and 2014: urban-rural disparity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine urban-rural disparity in childhood stunting, wasting and malnutrition at national and subnational levels in Chinese primary-school children in 2010 and 2014. DESIGN: Data were obtained from two nationwide cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2010 and 2014. Malnutrition was classified using the Chinese national 'Screening Standard for Malnutrition of Children'. SETTING: All twenty-seven mainland provinces and four municipalities of mainland China.ParticipantsChildren aged 7-12 years (n 215 214; 107 741 in 2010 and 107 473 in 2014) from thirty-one provinces. RESULTS: Stunting, wasting and malnutrition prevalence were 1·9, 12·3 and 13·7 % in 2010, but decreased to 1·0, 9·4 and 10·2 % in 2014, respectively. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and malnutrition in both urban and rural children was higher in western provinces, while lower in eastern provinces. Although the prevalence of wasting and malnutrition was higher in rural children than their urban counterparts, the urban-rural disparity in both wasting and malnutrition decreased from 2010 to 2014 (prevalence OR: wasting, 1·35 to 1·16; malnutrition, 1·50 to 1·27). A reversal occurred in 2014 in several eastern provinces where the prevalence of wasting and malnutrition in urban children surpassed their rural peers. The urban-rural disparity was larger in western provinces than eastern provinces. CONCLUSIONS: The shrinking urban-rural disparity and the reversal in wasting and malnutrition suggest that the malnutrition situation has improved during the post-crisis period, especially in the western provinces. Region-specific policies and interventions can be useful to sustainably mitigate malnutrition in Chinese children, especially in rural areas and the western provinces.

Parental smoking and blood pressure in children and adolescents: a national cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence on the health effects of passive smoking on childhood blood pressure is limited and inconsistent. We investigated the associations between exposure to parental smoking and blood pressure in children and adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in a national sample of 42,745 children and adolescents (50.2% boys) aged 7-18 years from seven provinces in China. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured. Information on parental smoking was collected through questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression was used to investigate the associations of parental smoking with blood pressure and prevalent hypertension, respectively. RESULTS: The reported parental smoking rates were 49.7 and 50.2% in boys and girls, respectively. After adjustment for a range of potential confounders, exposure to parental smoking was associated with 0.44 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16, 0.72] mmHg and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.47) mmHg higher SBP and DBP in girls. Girls exposed to parental smoking were also more likely to have hypertension compared with those without exposure (odds ratio = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.20). No significant associations were found in boys. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to parental smoking was associated with increased blood pressure and higher prevalence of hypertension in girls, but not in boys. Urgent strategies are needed for the promotion of smoking-free environment, especially for children and adolescents.

[Changes of the nutritional status of children and adolescents aged 7-17 years of Tujia ethnic minority in Hunan Province from 2010 to 2014].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the change of nutritional status of children and adolescents aged 7-17 years from Tujia ethnic minority in Hunan Province, and to provide evidence for the prevention and control policy making of improving the population's nutritional status. METHODS: A total of 4676 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years from Tujia ethnic minority in Hunan Province were included(2310 in year 2010, 2366 in year 2014), sample were recruited in the 2010 and 2014 Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health. The nutritional status of wasting and stunting was defined by a national malnutrition screening standard(WS/T 456-2014), overweight and obesity were defined by the body mass index percentile criteria developed by Chinese Working Group on Obesity for Children(WGOC). RESULTS: From 2010 to 2014, the obesity prevalence of Tujia children and adolescents from Hunan increased obviously from 3.1% to 5.7%, and the prevalence of wasting also increased, from 7.8% to 10.5%. The trend analysis of stunting showed that the stunting prevalence decreased significantly from 8.4% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2014. CONCLUSION: The stunting issue in Tujia children and adolescents has improved a lot from 2010 to 2014. But the prevalence of stunting is still high, and there is a dual burden of malnutrition and overnutrition.

Prevalence of excess body weight and underweight among 26 Chinese ethnic minority children and adolescents in 2014: a cross-sectional observational study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the nutritional burden in Chinese ethnic minority children. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of excess body weight and underweight for 26 ethnic groups. METHODS: Data on 80,821 participants aged 7-18 years across 26 minorities, with completed records from a large national cross-sectional survey, were obtained from Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health (CNSSCH) in 2014. Excess body weight, underweight and their components were classified according to Chinese national BMI references. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of excess body weight and underweight among ethnic groups were 12.0% and 14.5%, in which 4.4% and 4.1% of the participants were classified as obese and severe wasting, respectively. Compared with girls, boys showed a higher prevalence of underweight, severe wasting and obesity, but a lower prevalence of excess body weight (P < 0.05). Among 26 ethnic groups, Koreans had the highest prevalence of excess body weight (30.4%), while Bouyeis showed the highest prevalence of underweight (25.7%). The ethnic minority groups with high prevalence of excess body weight and underweight were more likely to show high burden of obesity and severe wasting, respectively. However, it is not the case for some groups, such as Miaos and Shuis. CONCLUSIONS: A worrying dual burden of excess body weight and underweight was recognized in Chinese ethnic minority children. Since various characteristics were found among different minorities, the ethnic-specific effort is warranted to improve their nutritional status.

Exploring Overweight Risk Trajectories During Childhood and Their Associations With Elevated Blood Pressure at Late Adolescence: a Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Overweight during childhood is significantly associated with higher risk of high blood pressure (HBP) in later life. However, recognition of critical intervention period is limited. We aimed to analyze the changes in overweight risk during school-age and its relationship with HBP. METHODS: Seventeen thousand eight hundred sixteen school-aged children (53.9% boys) with a mean follow-up time of 8.2 years were involved. Children's overweight was defined as body mass index Z score ≥1 and was fitted with a group-based trajectory model. The 4 trajectories were labeled as constant low, high decreasing, low rising, and constant high according to the change of overweight risk during follow-up. Population-averaged logit model and log-binomial regression models were used to analyze HBP risk. Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the HBP incidence among distinct groups. RESULTS: Children with higher overweight risk generally had higher HBP risk during follow-up. However, the HBP risk in low rising group was low at baseline and increased to 3.14 (95% CI, 2.54-3.88; P<0.001) for boys and 3.23 (95% CI, 2.08-5.01; P=0.004) for girls at end point, which were comparable to the relative risk in the constant high group (4.60 [95% CI, 4.02-5.27] for boys and 5.28 [95% CI, 3.94-7.07] for girls). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study provide insights on patterns of overweight risks during childhood. Children with transition from normal to overweight during teen years would be high-risk in HBP incidence.

Use of Tri-Ponderal Mass Index in Predicting Late Adolescent Overweight and Obesity in Children Aged 7-18.

Background: Current reference systems using body mass index (BMI) or BMI z-scores to estimate overweight and obesity risk in adolescents are complex to use. An easy and effective measure and cutoffs such as the tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) are in need for parents and grassroots health workers. Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether cohort-derived TMI could be efficient for obesity prediction and to find out whether simplified TMI cutoffs could be used in the prediction. Methods: Data were obtained from a 12-year retrospective growth cohort generated in Guangdong, China. A total of 17,815 children (53.9% were boys) with 151,879 follow-ups conducted annually between 2005 and 2016 were involved. Late adolescent overweight and obesity were defined based on the BMI z-score (WHO 2007 growth reference) of the last measurement, which happened at the mean age of 17.2 (SD: 0.7) for both sexes. Analysis of the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves was used to find the most appropriate cutoff. Results: In total, 9,604 boys and 8,211 girls were included in the final analysis. TMI cutoffs performed better than WHO BMI cutoffs in the prediction of late adolescent overweight and obesity, with all corresponding AUCs <0.7. The simplified TMI cutoffs used to predict late adolescent overweight and obesity were 13.1 and 14.1 kg/m3 for children aged 7 to 15 years, respectively, with the corresponding AUCs ranging from 0.7315 (standard error, SE: 0.0132) to 0.9367 (SE: 0.0052). The cutoffs for predicting late adolescent overweight and obesity for children aged 16 to 18 years were 14.0 and 15.8 kg/m3, respectively, with the corresponding AUCs ranging from 0.9189 (SE: 0.0048) to 0.9841 (95% CI: 0.0027). Conclusion: Tri-ponderal mass index with the ease of administration in practice could be a promising alternative screening tool to BMI for the prediction of late adolescent overweight and obesity.

Effect of childhood phthalates exposure on the risk of overweight and obesity: A nested case-control study in China.

BACKGROUND: There was growing interest in endocrine disrupting chemicals that might have effect on the obesity epidemic, but few studies on the association of phthalates (PAEs) with childhood overweight and obesity in China based on longitudinal cohort study were available, which was the purpose of the present study. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in a prospective cohort of 2298 children aged 7-13 years from October 2017 to October 2020 with five waves visits in Xiamen city, China. A total of 829 children remained in the first wave of follow up with collection of urine for measuring seven PAEs metabolites, including mono-methyl phthalate (MMP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP), utilizing ultra high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Overweight and obesity, defined by WHO classifications, were allocated to the cases group, and those of all normal weight and matched cases with normal weight in each wave of follow-up as two control groups. Logistic regression models after adjusting for confounders were utilized to analyze the effect of PAEs on overweight and obesity in children with divided four groups based on the quartile distribution of each and total PAEs concentration. RESULTS: The detection rates of children for each PAEs metabolite were 99.4% for MMP, 99.4% for MEP, 99.8% for MBP, 54.5% for MEHP, 84.4% for MEOHP, 99.9% for MEHHP, and 97.2% for MiBP. The geometric mean of concentrations of PAEs, MMP, MEP, MBP, MEHP, MEHHP, and MiBP were 310.085, 34.658, 9.127, 166.347, 7.043, 3.400, 18.571, and 24.093 (ng/ml), respectively. The total PAEs and seven metabolites concentrations were positively associated with childhood BMI Z-Scores with statistically significant slope rates and correlation coefficients, and were higher in the cases group than those in two controls groups in each wave of follow-up. The PAEs concentrations in the cases group was 5.90 (95 %CI: 5.79, 6.01) ng/ml in the first wave of survey, which was higher than those normal controls group (5.68 (95 %CI: 5.61, 5.75) ng/ml, P < 0.001) and matched controls group (5.72 (95 %CI: 5.61, 5.84) ng/ml, P = 0.018). The prevalence and ORs of overweight and obesity increased with quartile group of each and total PAEs concentrations accompanying a dose-response relationship. Compared with the quartile1 reference group with lowest total PAEs concentrations, the ORs of overweight and obesity in quartile2, quartile3 and quartile4 group increased gradually and reached at 1.20 (0.74-1.95), 1.49 (0.93-2.38) and 2.22 (1.41-3.48), respectively (Ptrend < 0.001). The strength of the associations between PAEs and overweight and obesity was sex-specific in children. DISCUSSION: Children in China were extensively exposed to PAEs, and the exposure to PAEs during childhood could significantly increase the risk of overweight and obesity with a dose-response relationship, particularly in girls. While limiting the exposure of PAEs products, the determination of exposure limit of plasticizer should be further strengthened.

Association between urinary phthalate metabolites and dyslipidemia in children: Results from a Chinese cohort study.

Rising evidence of both experimental and epidemiological studies suggests that phthalate exposure may contribute to increased risks of metabolic disorders. But there is limited research on the childhood dyslipidemia. Our cohort study was conducted in Xiamen city, Fujian Province, China. A total of 829 children (mean age 8.5 years) were included with collection of urine, blood samples and demographic data in May 2018 and followed up once a year from 2018 to 2020. We performed adjusted log-binomial regressions to examine associations between sex-specific tertiles of seven phthalate metabolites and dyslipidemia in visit 1, as well as persistent dyslipidemia and occasional dyslipidemia. We also used generalized estimating equation models (GEE) to explore the relationships between log-transformed phthalate metabolites and lipid profiles. In adjusted models, the prevalence and RRs of dyslipidemia increased with tertile group of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP), and summed di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHP) metabolites with a dose-response relationship in visit 1, as well as persistent dyslipidemia. Higher MnBP, ∑LMWP, MEHHP, MEOHP, and ∑DEHP concentrations were also associated with higher levels of log-transformed triglycerides (TG). Boys were more vulnerable to phthalates exposure than girls. In conclusion, children in China were widely exposed to phthalates, and phthalates exposure during childhood might significantly increase the risk of dyslipidemia and a higher level of lipid profiles, particularly in boys.

Prepubertal BMI, pubertal growth patterns, and long-term BMI: Results from a longitudinal analysis in Chinese children and adolescents from 2005 to 2016.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of prepubertal BMI on pubertal growth patterns, and the influence of prepubertal BMI and pubertal growth patterns on long-term BMI among Chinese children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 9606 individuals aged between 7 and 18 years from longitudinal surveys in Zhongshan city of China from 2005 to 2016 were enrolled. Age at peak height velocity (APHV) and peak height velocity (PHV) were estimated using Super-Imposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR) model. Associations between prepubertal BMI, APHV, PHV, and long-term overweight and obesity were assessed by linear regression and multinominal logistic regression. Scatter plots were elaborated to show the associations between prepubertal BMI and pubertal growth patterns according to prepubertal BMI categories. RESULTS: Prepubertal BMI Z-Score was positively correlated with long-term BMI Z-Score, and negatively correlated with APHV in both sexes. In addition, there was a negative association between prepubertal BMI Z-Score and PHV in boys. With 1-year decrease in APHV, risk of long-term underweight decreased by 92%, while overweight increased by 33% in boys. Corresponding risk of long-term underweight and overweight for girls decreased by 42% and increased by 20%, respectively. CONCLUSION: High prepubertal BMI levels were associated with earlier APHV and lower PHV, and the early onset of pubertal development could increase the risks of long-term overweight and obesity at 17-18 years of age both in boys and girls. Such evidence emphasized the importance of reducing prepubertal obesity risks combined with appropriate pubertal development timing, including later APHV and higher PHV, so as to prevent the obesity and related cardiovascular diseases in adulthood.

Association between height growth patterns in puberty and stature in late adolescence: A longitudinal analysis in chinese children and adolescents from 2006 to 2016.

Introduction: The relationship between the characteristics of puberty growth and the stature (height and overweight and obesity) in late adolescence was not clear. We aimed to explore the effects of puberty growth patterns on the stature in late adolescence. Methods: A total of 13,143 children from a longitudinal cohort from 2006 to 2016 in Zhongshan city of China were included. The Preece-Baines growth curve was fitted for each individual child, and the age at peak height velocity (APHV), peak height velocity (PHV), and age at take-off (TOA) were obtained from the Preece-Baines model. To compare the difference in height in late adolescence (at 18 years old) at different pubertal height growth patterns (height spurt timing, intensity, and duration), the height at baseline was matched by using the propensity score matching. The log-binomial model was applied to assess the association between the three pubertal height growth patterns (timing, intensity, and duration) and overweight and obesity status in late adolescence, controlling the urbanity and body mass index (BMI) at baseline. Results: After matching the baseline height, boys and girls in three pubertal patterns with early timing (P < 0.01), small intensity (P < 0.01), and short duration (P < 0.01) of height spurt had the lowest final height in the late adolescence. A 16% increase and 45% increase of risk for overweight and obesity were significantly associated with the early APHV in boys and girls, respectively, relative risk (RR) in boys, 1.16(95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03-1.30), P = 0.011; RR in girls, 1.45(1.21-1.75), P < 0.001. A 21% increase and 59% increase of risk for overweight and obesity were significantly associated with small PHV in boys and girls, respectively, RR in boys, 1.21(1.07-1.36), P < 0.001; RR in girls, 1.59(1.30-1.95), P < 0.001; and an 80% increase of risk for overweight and obesity with small spurt duration in girls (RR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.49, 2.18; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Pubertal growth patterns, including earlier puberty onset timing, smaller puberty intensity, and shorter puberty spurt duration, had a positive association with lower height risks and higher overweight and obesity risks in late adolescence.

Association between pubertal development and elevated blood pressure in children.

Blood pressure (BP) increased with age and height development, but little was known about the effect of pubertal development on blood pressure in children. A cross-sectional study was performed among 4146 children aged 7-12 years old in China. Pubertal development was assessed based on breast stages and testicular volume. The associations of pubertal development with BP levels and the rate of elevated blood pressure (EBP) were quantified using multiple linear and logistic regressions. We found that pubertal developmental level was positively correlated with BP, and children who experienced puberty onset and early pubertal timing had higher BP levels and prevalence of EBP. After adjusting for covariates, children experienced puberty onset had 3.84 and 2.24 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, and 70%, 53%, and 62% increased odds of EBP, ESBP, and EDBP, respectively, compared with those without puberty onset. Similar results were observed for children who had early pubertal timing. The change of BP in puberty is greater and the association between pubertal development and BP is stronger in girls than boys. These findings suggested that pubertal development could be an important independent factor and one critical period for the EBP progress. Monitoring and management of pubertal development are necessary particularly among girls.

Parental Adherence to Ideal Cardiovascular Health Status Was Associated With a Substantially Lower Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Their Offspring Aged 6-18 Years.

Background: Parental health status had a potential influence on offspring health. This study aimed to investigate the separate associations between paternal and maternal cardiovascular health statuses and the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in the offspring. Methods: Data were from a cross-sectional study conducted in seven provinces or cities of China in 2013. A total of 29,317 children aged 6-18 years old and their parents, making up 9,585 father-offspring pairs and 19,732 mother-offspring pairs, were included in the final analysis. Information on parental cardiovascular health status factors (dietary behaviors, body mass index (BMI), smoking, physical activity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus) was obtained from the structured self-administrated questionnaires. Based on the health status factors, we then generated an ideal cardiovascular health (iCVH) score. The overweight and obesity of children were defined using age- and sex-specific cutoffs based on the International Obesity Task Force criteria. A multilevel log-binomial regression model was used to assess the association between parental cardiovascular health status and prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in the offspring. Results: The prevalence of pediatric overweight and obesity was 22.0% in the father-offspring subset and 23.8% in the mother-offspring subset, respectively. Fathers with ideal BMI, non-smoking, and absence of hypertension and diabetes, and mothers with ideal BMI, ideal physical activity, and absence of hypertension and diabetes were found to be associated with lower prevalence of overweight and obesity in the offspring. The prevalence of offspring overweight and obesity was significantly decreased with the parental iCVH scores increased. Each additional increase in paternal and maternal iCVH factor was associated with a 30% and 27% lower prevalence of overweight and obesity in the offspring. Compared with children whose parental iCVH scores ≤ 3, offspring whose fathers or mothers met all six iCVH factors had 67% [prevalence ratio (PR): 0.33, 95%CI: 0.25-0.42] and 58% (PR: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.29-0.62) lower prevalence of overweight and obesity, respectively. Conclusions: Parental adherence to iCVH status was associated with a lower prevalence of pediatric overweight and obesity in offspring. Our findings support the intervention strategy that parents should involve in the obesity intervention program for children.

Associations Between Single-Child Status and Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents in China.

Objective: To evaluate the associations between single-child status and metabolic syndrome (MS) and to identify the highest risk group of MS among single children. Methods: Differences in participants' characteristics by sex were examined by Student's t-test for continuous variables and Pearson's chi-squared test for categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for MS and its components according to the single-child status. Radar maps were used to compare the composition of different components in MS. Results: In total, 11,784 (5,880 boys) children and adolescents were included in this study, with a mean age of (11.3 ± 3.1) years. MS was observed in 7.1% of participants, with a higher prevalence in boys (8.2%) than girls (5.9%) (P < 0.05). The prevalence of MS, elevated blood pressure and abdominal obesity in single children were higher than that in children with siblings, particularly in boys (P < 0.001). Elevated risk of abdominal obesity was observed in single children [boys (1.56, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.85), girls (1.40, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.63)], however, increased ORs of elevated blood pressure and metabolic syndrome were observed in single-child boys only (1.19, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.40 and 1.76, 95% CI: 1.34, 2.31, respectively). Results showed that a statistically significant association between single child status and MS was mainly observed in urban boys (2.04, 95% CI: 1.33, 3.12) and rural boys (1.50, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.15), but not in girls. Among all the combinations of MS, two combinations were significantly associated with the single-child status, including the combination of elevated blood pressure, abdominal and low HDL-C (1.45, 1.04, 2.04) and the combination of elevated blood pressure, abdominal obesity, low HDL-C and hypertriglyceridemia (2.04, 1.40, 3.06) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study found that single children and adolescents had a higher risk of MS, elevated blood pressure and abdominal obesity. The associations were stronger in urban boys. Further attention should be directed to the prevention and control strategies targeting the high-risk population of MS.

The Association Between Single-Child Status and Risk of Abdominal Obesity: Result From a Cross-Sectional Study of China.

Background: Obesity has become a serious problem threatening the health of children and adolescents, and China's one-child policy has affected family structure and parenting practice, which may result in several adverse health outcomes. The present study aims to investigate the association between single-child status and the risk of abdominal obesity in Chinese adolescents and also to compare the differences in the risk of unideal energy-related behaviors. Methods: Data were obtained from a school-based cross-sectional survey conducted in seven provinces of China, in 2012. A total of 31,291 students aged 7-17 years were recruited in this study. Anthropometric measurements were conducted to assess height and waist circumference, and questionnaires were used to obtain information of single-child status, parental educational attainment, parental weight status, and offspring energy-related behaviors. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of single-child status and odds of childhood abdominal obesity and energy-related behaviors. Results: The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 18.2% in single children, which was higher than that of non-single children (13.7%). The prevalence was also higher in single children in different sex and residence subgroups. Logistic regression models showed that single children had 1.33 times (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.24-1.43, P < 0.001) higher odds of abdominal obesity compared to non-single children. Single children had 1.08 times higher odds of physical inactivity (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14, P = 0.004), 1.13 times higher odds of excessive sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.23, P = 0.002), and 1.08 times more likely to eat out (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13, P = 0.006). Those associations were more remarkable in single girls. Conclusion: Being a single child may be associated with a higher odds of childhood abdominal obesity and unhealthy energy-related behaviors. Future interventions and strategies to prevent abdominal obesity should focus on this high-risk population.

Ambient air pollution and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents: A multicenter study in China.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors such as air pollution may contribute to the development of childhood obesity. However, current epidemiological evidence is limited and inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the associations between long-term air pollution exposure and obesity in a large population of Chinese children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 44,718 children and adolescents (50.5% boys) aged 7 to 18 years were recruited from seven provinces/municipalities in China. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the prevalence of general and central obesity were measured. Satellite-based spatial-temporal models were used to estimate ambient concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 1.0 µm (PM1), <2.5 µm (PM2.5), <10.0 µm (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). We used mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models to examine the associations between air pollution exposure and body weight measures. RESULTS: Exposure to PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 was associated with increased BMI Z-score, waist circumference and WHtR, and higher prevalence of both general and central obesity. Generally, stronger associations were observed for particles, especially PM1 and PM2.5, than for NO2. Also, the associations of particles were generally more stable in two-pollutant models. Overall, the associations were more pronounced in boys than in girls except for general obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with increased body weight and higher prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents, suggesting potential obesogenic effects of air pollution.

Prevalence of Anemia and its Associated Factors among Chinese 9-, 12-, and 14-Year-Old Children: Results from 2014 Chinese National Survey on Students Constitution and Health.

Background: Anemia has been one of the main nutritional challenges around the world. Not enough attention has been paid to this issue in children and adolescents in China. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of anemia among 9-, 12-, and 14-year old Chinese children and investigate the associated factors of anemia. Methods: Data come from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 26 provinces and 4 municipalities in mainland China. A total of 48,537 children aged 9, 12, and 14 years old were included in data analyses. Anthropometric measurements were conducted to obtain information about height and weight. Capillary blood was collected from the fingertip, and hemoglobin concentration was tested by HemoCue201+. Information about sleep duration, daily consumption of eggs, milk, and breakfast were obtained from a self-administrated questionnaire. The mixed-effects logistic regression model was applied to estimate the association between selected variables and risk of anemia. Results: A total of 8.4% of participants were identified as being anemic; and the prevalence was higher in girls and rural children. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis showed that children who were overweight, obese, and consumed eggs and milk every day had a lower risk of anemia. Spermarche, overweight/obesity, and having milk every day were associated with lower risk of anemia in boys, while menarche was found to be a risk factor and eating eggs every day to be a protective factor of anemia in girls. Conclusions: Anemia among 9-, 12-, and 14-year-old children is still high. Intervention programs of adding egg and milk into school daily diet might contribute to reducing anemia in Chinese school aged children, especially for those living in rural areas or girls with menarche.

Relationship between parental overweight and obesity and childhood metabolic syndrome in their offspring: result from a cross-sectional analysis of parent-offspring trios in China.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components are observed to emerge in childhood and may continue into adulthood. The study aimed to investigate the association between parental overweight and risk of childhood MS and its components in their offspring. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Chinese children and adolescents; a total of 11 784 children aged 7-18 years were included in this study; child outcomes were obtained from objective measurements and parental data were obtained from questionnaires; MS was defined according to the modified criteria of Adult Treatment Panel Ⅲ; correlation between parental overweight and offspring MS was assessed via multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for potential covariates. RESULTS: 3476 (29.5%) children were found to have overweight fathers, 1041 (8.8%) had overweight mothers and 852 (7.2%) had both overweight parents. The prevalence of MS was 7.1% in total, 8.2% in boys and 5.9% in girls; children with overweight parents had a higher prevalence of MS and its components (except for elevated glucose) compared with children with normal-weight parents. Children with overweight fathers, mothers and both parents had 2.17 times (95% CI: 1.65-2.85), 2.89 times (95% CI: 2.03-4.11) and 2.81 times (95% CI: 1.91-4.15) higher risk of MS, respectively. Children with overweight mothers were likely to have a higher risk of MS compared with children with overweight fathers. Parental overweight was positively correlated with higher risk of MS, abdominal obesity and low HDL-C both in boys and girls. CONCLUSION: Parental overweight was strongly associated with increased risk of MS in their offspring, the risk was highest in children with both parents to be overweight. Maternal overweight seems to have a stronger correlation with offspring MS than paternal overweight. Parental overweight is one of the factors for identifying metabolic dysfunction risk in their offspring and other factors need to be considered as well.

Association Between Maternal Lifestyle and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Offspring-A Cross-Sectional Study From China.

Background: The prevalence of MS among children and adolescents continues to rise, which has become an escalating serious health issue worldwide. It had been reported that maternal current lifestyle had a strong independent correlation with offspring health. However, it is not clear whether comprehensive lifestyle of mother has an impact on the MS risk in offspring and the role of offspring's lifestyle in it. Methods and Results: We included 4,837 mother-child pairs from a multi-centered cross-sectional study conducted in China. The information of maternal lifestyle was obtained by self-reported questionnaire, and metabolic syndrome (MS) in offspring was determined by anthropometric measurements and blood tests. Logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the association between maternal lifestyle and risk of MS in offspring. We found maternal healthy lifestyle was independently associated with lower risk of offspring MS, and the risk of MS in offspring decreased with the increased number of maternal ideal lifestyle factors. Although adolescents' lifestyle did not fully explain the relationship between maternal lifestyle and risk of offspring MS, compared with those had less ideal lifestyle factors in both mothers and offspring, the risk of offspring MS was lower in those had more ideal lifestyle factors in both mothers and adolescents. Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle in mothers was associated with a lower risk of MS in offspring, which was independent of offspring's lifestyle. These findings support mother-based lifestyle intervention could be an effective strategy to reduce the MS risk in adolescents.