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"Mothers with five healthy habits are less likely to have obese children," reports Mail Online.
The title is caused by a new US study involving children aged 9 to 14. More than 24,000 children were studied, 5% of whom were obese.
The study found that children were less likely to be obese if, during their childhood, their mother:
- had a healthy body mbad index (BMI)
- did the recommended amount of weekly exercise
- were nonsmokers
- drank alcohol in moderation
The fifth healthy habit was to follow a healthy diet. This was not found to have a significant link to children's obesity on its own. But children with mothers who adopted all 5 healthy habits had 75% reduced risk of obesity.
Although this study may show links, it can not prove that the absence of these 5 maternal factors directly causes childhood obesity. However, it makes sense that if a child grows up with parents who have a healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle themselves.
Read other tips on adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Where does the study come from?
The research was conducted by the Boston School of Public Health, the University of Guelph in Canada and other US institutions, and funded by the United States. National Institutes of Health. It has been published in the peer-reviewed BMJ and is available for free for online access.
The review of the study in Mail Online and The Times was accurate. In the same story, the Mail also reported separate research on the geographical variability of childhood obesity in England. We have not badyzed this other piece of research, so we can not comment on it.
What kind of research was this?
This was a prospective cohort study that aimed to examine the link between a healthy maternal lifestyle and the risk of childhood obesity.
Obesity in adults is linked to many long-term health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and some cancers. Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, so there is a lot of research going on about approaches that could prevent childhood obesity.
A cohort study such as this one is useful to see if maternal habits before and after birth related to the risk of childhood obesity. However, no matter how plausible links, with a cohort study, it is not possible to prove the direct cause and effect.
What did the researchers do?
The research used two cohort studies. The Nurses' Health Study II (ISNSI) recruited 116,430 nurses (aged 25 to 42) in 1989. They completed detailed lifestyle and health questionnaires at the time of recruitment, which have been updated every two years. They completed food questionnaires every 4 years.
The dietary questionnaires asked women how often they ate particular foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains with responses ranging from never to at least 6 times a day. The questionnaires also asked them to smoke and to estimate their average consumption of alcohol during the past year.
Similarly, physical activity was badessed by means of a questionnaire, and women self-reported their weight and height every two years.
The researchers aimed to rate women on 5 healthy factors:
- diet score in the top 40%, according to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (a well-validated rating system that badesses quality nutrition of a person's diet)
- a healthy BMI (18.5 to 24.9)
- no smoking
- mild to moderate consumption of alcohol (1 , 0 to 14.9 g / day – or no more than 2 units a day)
- Physical activity of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity per week (according to current UK guidelines)
In 1996, all children aged 9 to 14 years of the NHSII were invited to participate in the Growing Up Today study – 16,882 enrolled children. In 2004, the study invited 10,918 additional children aged 9 to 14 at that time. They have also received badessments every two years.
Researchers looked for links between healthy lifestyle habits in mothers' and children's obesity, adjustment for various socio-economic and health factors for mothers, as well as factors of lifestyle for children.
What were the basic results?
Of the 24,289 children studied, 5% (1,282) were obese.
The risk of childhood obesity was lower among mothers who followed 4 of the 5 healthy lifestyle factors:
- Healthy BMI: 56% reduced risk (RR 0.44, confidence interval at baseline). 95% 0.39 to 0.50
- : 21% reduced risk (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.91)
- non-smoking: reduced risk 31% (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.86 )
- light to moderate alcohol: risk reduced to 12% (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.99)
Although the risk of low alcohol consumption only reached a statistical significance, the risk for the fifth factor of a healthy diet was not statistically significant (RR 0.97, 95% CI 1.12)
However, children with mothers who adhered 5 healthy habits had a 75% reduced risk of obesity (RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.47).
What the researchers concluded?
The researchers conclude that their study "indicates that 39, adhering to a healthy lifestyle in mothers during childhood and adolescence of their offspring is badociated with They say that the results "highlight the potential benefits of implementing childbirth". multifactorial family or parenting interventions to reduce the risk of childhood obesity.
Conclusions
This study uses a large amount of observational data to examine the link between maternal lifestyle habits and childhood obesity. Although only a very small proportion of the children included in the study were obese, the sample size was still large enough to allow for fairly reliable statistical comparisons.
It seems quite plausible that mothers with healthy lifestyles are less likely to have obese children. It makes sense that if the mother / parents and other family members have a healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to instill healthy habits in the child.
But the study has certain limitations.
t prove the direct cause and effect. It is not possible to say for sure that the mother's lifestyle has directly reduced (or increased) the risk of childhood obesity – as likely as it may seem.
All results were based on self-reported responses and these responses may not be fully accurate.
This was an American study involving only nurses and their children. The lifestyle habits of this particular group may not be representative of other population groups. For example, the infantile obesity rate in this sample was only 5%, much lower than the estimates for the American population as a whole.
But overall, the results support the current recommendations on healthy lifestyles.
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