Adiposity trajectories from ages 11 to 22 years show significant increases in body fat, with even more pronounced upward trajectories when mothers were overweight at the beginning of the trajectory.
Key Findings
Results
Three BMI trajectories were identified in the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort: 'always adequate', 'always with overweight', and 'always with obesity'.
BMI measurements were assessed at four time points: ages 11, 15, 18, and 22 years
Sample size for BMI trajectories was n = 3,072
Approximately 40% of the cohort was classified as 'always with overweight' or 'always with obesity'
Trajectories were identified using a group-based modeling approach by sex
Results
Three body fat percentage (BF%) trajectories were observed among males, including one with a consistently low BF% over time, while all female trajectories showed an increase in BF% from adolescence onward.
BF% measurements were assessed at four time points: ages 11, 15, 18, and 22 years
Sample size for BF% trajectories was n = 3,058
Women's trajectories showed an increase in BF% from adolescence onward across all trajectory groups
Males had a distinct trajectory group characterized by consistently low BF% over time
Results
Maternal overweight was associated with higher adiposity trajectories in both sexes.
Association was observed for both BMI and BF% trajectory outcomes
The association applied to both male and female offspring
Upward adiposity trajectories were described as 'even more pronounced' when mothers were overweight at the beginning of the trajectory period
Maternal characteristics were described using the Pearson's chi-squared test
Results
Socioeconomic factors showed sex-specific associations with high adiposity trajectories.
Men with higher family income and lower maternal education had a higher prevalence of high adiposity trajectories for both BMI and BF%
Women from lower-income backgrounds had a higher prevalence of the 'always with overweight' or 'always with obesity' BMI trajectories
The direction of the income association with adiposity trajectories differed between men and women
Methods
The study used a group-based modeling approach to identify adiposity trajectories from a Brazilian birth cohort spanning ages 11 to 22 years.
Data were drawn from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort
Measurements were taken at four time points: 11, 15, 18, and 22 years of age
Trajectories were modeled separately by sex
Both BMI and BF% were used as measures of adiposity
Maternal characteristics examined included maternal overweight, family income, and maternal education