Sleep differences in one-year-old children were related to obesity risks based on their parents' weight according to baseline longitudinal study data.

AIM: Parental obesity is the predominant risk factor for child obesity. We compared sleep in one-year-old children with different obesity risks, based on parental weight, and explored associations with weight, parental sleep and family factors. METHODS: Baseline data from 167 families participating in a longitudinal obesity prevention programme was used. Sleep patterns were compared between groups with high and low obesity risks, based on parental weight, and associations between child sleep and weight status, family obesity risk and parental sleep were explored. Sleep was assessed using child sleep diaries and standard parental questionnaires. RESULTS: Later bedtime, longer sleep onset latency and lower sleep efficiency were observed among children in the high-risk group. Child sleep onset latency was associated with the family obesity risk (ß = 0.25, p = 0.001), child bedtime with both maternal (ß = 0.33, p < 0.01) and paternal bedtime (ß = 0.22, p < 0.05) and child sleep efficiency with maternal sleep quality (ß = 0.20, p < 0.01). The child's bedtime was weakly associated with their body mass index (ß = 0.17, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sleep differed between one-year-old children with high or low obesity risks, based on their parents' body mass index, and was associated with the family obesity risk and parental sleep. The child's bedtime was weakly associated with their weight status.

Obesogenic dietary intake in families with 1-year-old infants at high and low obesity risk based on parental weight status: baseline data from a longitudinal intervention (Early STOPP).

PURPOSE: To compare dietary intake in 1-year-old infants and their parents between families with high and low obesity risk, and to explore associations between infant dietary intake and relative weight. METHODS: Baseline analyses of 1-year-old infants (n = 193) and their parents participating in a longitudinal obesity intervention (Early STOPP) were carried out. Dietary intake and diet quality indicators were compared between high- and low-risk families, where obesity risk was based on parental weight status. The odds for high diet quality in relation to parental diet quality were determined. Associations between measured infant relative weight and dietary intake were examined adjusting for obesity risk, socio-demographics, and infant feeding. RESULTS: Infant dietary intake did not differ between high- and low-risk families. The parents in high-risk families consumed soft drinks, French fries, and low-fat spread more frequently, and fish and fruits less frequently (p < 0.05) compared to parents in low-risk families. Paternal intake of vegetables and fish increased the odds for children being consumers of vegetables (OR 1.7; 95 % CI 1.0-2.9) and fish, respectively (OR 2.5; 95 % CI 1.4-4.4). Infant relative weight was weakly associated with a high intake of milk cereal drink (r = 0.15; p < 0.05), but not with any other aspect of dietary intake, obesity risk, or early feeding patterns. CONCLUSIONS: At the age of one, dietary intake in infants is not associated with family obesity risk, nor with parental obesogenic food intake. Milk cereal drink consumption but no other infant dietary marker reflects relative weight at this young age.

Objectively measured physical activity in two-year-old children - levels, patterns and correlates.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to describe levels, patterns and correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in a sample of Swedish children, two years of age, with normal weight, overweight and obese parents. METHODS: Data from 123 children, 37 with normal-weight parents and 86 with overweight/obese parents, enrolled in the Early Stockholm Obesity Prevention Project study was used. Children wore an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer for seven days. Average activity (counts per minute), number of steps and time spent in low and high-intensity physical activity and in sedentary was assessed. Differences between weekdays and weekend days were examined as were correlations with sex, body mass index (BMI), motor skills and family-related factors. RESULTS: Children were active at high intensity 11% of the day. On average 55% of the day was spent being sedentary. Number of steps and time in low-intensity physical activity differed between weekdays and weekend days: on weekdays, 363 more steps (p = 0.01) and six more minutes in low physical activity (p = 0.04). No differences were found for any physical activity or sedentary behavior variable by sex, BMI, motor skills or any family-related variable (p = 0.07 - 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Two-year-old children have an intermittent activity pattern, that is almost similar on weekdays and they spend about half of the daytime active. The absence of any association with sex, BMI, motor skills or parental factors indicates that the individual variation in this age group is primarily due to endogenous factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01198847 .