TY - GEN A1 - Herr, Raphael A1 - De Bock, Freia A1 - Diehl, Katharina A1 - Wiedemann, Eva A1 - Sterdt, Elena A1 - Blume, Miriam A1 - Hoffmann, Stephanie A1 - Herke, Max A1 - Reuter, Marvin A1 - Iashchenko, Iryna A1 - Schneider, Sven T1 - Associations of individual factors and early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres characteristics with preschoolers’ BMI in Germany T2 - BMC Public Health N2 - Background The number of obese children is rising worldwide. Many studies have investigated single determinants of children’s body mass index (BMI), yet studies measuring determinants at different potential levels of influence are sparse. The aim of this study is to investigate the independent role of parental socioeconomic position (SEP), additional family factors at the micro level, as well as early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre characteristics at the meso level regarding BMI. Methods Analyses used the baseline data of the PReschool INtervention Study (PRINS) including up to 1,151 children from 53 ECEC centres. Multi-level models first estimated the associations of parental SEP indicators (parental school education, vocational training, and household income) with the children’s standard deviation scores for BMI (SDS BMI, standardised for age and gender). Second, structural (number of siblings), psychosocial (strained family relationships), and nutrition behavioural (soft-drink consumption, frequency of fast-food restaurant visits) family factors at the micro level were included. Third, characteristics of the ECEC centre at the meso level in terms of average group size, the ratio of overweight children in the group, ECEC centre type (all-day care), and the location of the ECEC centre (rural vs urban) were included. All analyses were stratified by gender and adjusted for age, migration background, and parental employment status. Results Estimates for boys and girls appeared to differ. In the full model, for boys the parental SEP indicators were not related to SDS BMI. Factors related to SDS BMI in boys were: two or more siblings; B = -.55; p = 0.045 [ref.: no sibling]), the characteristics of the ECEC centre in terms of average group size (20 – 25 children; B = -.54; p = 0.022 [ref.: < 20 children]), and the ratio of overweight children (more overweight children B = -1.39; p < 0.001 [ref.: few overweight children]). For girls the number of siblings (two and more siblings; B = .67; p = 0.027 [ref.: no sibling]) and average group size (> 25 children; B = -.52; p = 0.037 [ref.: < 20 children]) were related to SDS BMI. Conclusions The BMI of preschool children appears to be associated with determinants at the micro and meso level, however with some gender differences. The identified factors at the micro and meso level appear largely modifiable and can inform about possible interventions to reduce obesity in preschool children. KW - BMI KW - Obesity KW - Preschool children KW - ECEC centres KW - Kindergarten KW - Meso level KW - Socioeconomic position Y1 - 2022 UR - https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13814-5 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13814-5 SN - 1471-2458 VL - 22 SP - 1 EP - 13 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Hoffmann, Stephanie A1 - Rattay, Petra A1 - Blume, Miriam A1 - Hövener, Claudia A1 - Schneider, Sven A1 - Moor, Irene A1 - Pischke, Claudia R. A1 - Schüttig, Wiebke A1 - De Bock, Freia A1 - Spallek, Jacob T1 - Do family characteristics explain a social gradient in overweight in early childhood? T2 - European Journal of Public Health N2 - Background Children's overweight is associated with many factors, including their living situation, in particular their family's socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics. Research on the extent to which family characteristics account for a social gradient in overweight in early life is scarce. This study evaluated whether family characteristics explain SEP differences in the risk of overweight in early childhood. Methods The study used baseline data of 3-6 year-old children (n = 1,116) from the intervention ‘Ene mene fit’ conducted at kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data included overweight (body mass index > 90 percentile) and parents’ reports on their education and family characteristics associated with overweight (child consumes: sweets in front of TV, soft drinks; family joined time: outdoor, breakfast, sports; cooking; child sets table; role model). Model-based single mediation analyses decomposed the total effect of highest parental education on overweight into direct (unmediated) and indirect (mediated) effects (OR, 95% CI). Results Girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high/medium education. Among boys, low education influenced the risk of overweight via indirect effects of i. ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ (OR = 1.31, 1.05-1.59) and ii. ‘no joined sports’ (OR = 1.14, 1.00-1.44). The direct effect of low education only remained significant when ‘no joined sports’ was considered (OR = 2.19, 1.11-5.19). Among girls, family characteristics measured here did not explain SEP differences in overweight. Conclusions The family characteristics ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ and ‘no joined sports’ contribute to inequalities in overweight among boys, but not among girls. Therefore, more gender-sensitive research is needed to identify family risk and protective characteristics that explain health inequalities among both boys and girls. KW - family characteristics KW - social gradient KW - obesity KW - early childhood Y1 - 2022 UR - https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/32/Supplement_3/ckac129.581/6765540?searchresult=1 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac129.581 SN - 1101-1262 SN - 1464-360X VL - 32 IS - Supplement_3 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Hoffmann, Stephanie A1 - Sander, Lydia A1 - Rattay, Petra A1 - Blume, Miriam A1 - Hövener, Claudia A1 - Schneider, Sven A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Pischke, Claudia R. A1 - Schüttig, Wiebke A1 - De Bock, Freia A1 - Spallek, Jacob T1 - Do family characteristics contribute to a socioeconomic gradient in overweight in early childhood? – Single mediation analyses of data from German preschool children T2 - Preventive Medicine Reports N2 - Children’s overweight is strongly associated with family socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics (FC). There is limited research on the extent to which FC account for a socioeconomic gradient in childhood overweight. This study examined whether FC explain SEP differences in the prevalence of overweight. The study used baseline data of preschool-aged children from the German ‘PReschool INtervention Study’. The sample (n = 872, 48% girls) was recruited at kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data included children’s measured weight status and parents’ reports on socioeconomic indicators (e.g., school education, vocational education, income) and FC. Variables represent main determinants of overweight (nutrition: sweets consumption in front of TV, soft drink consumption, regular breakfast, child sets table; physical activity: outdoor sports; parental role model). In single mediation analyses indirect effects of SEP on overweight were analysed (OR[95%CI]). Preschool girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high parental education. Among boys, low levels of parental education contributed to the odds of overweight via indirect effects by both factors ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ (OR = 1.31[1.05–1.59]) and ‘no sports’ (OR = 1.14[1.01–1.38]). Among girls, FC measured did not explain SEP differences in overweight. Family nutrition and parental/family physical activity contribute to inequalities in overweight among preschool boys, but not girls. Research is needed to identify FC that explain inequalities in overweight for both. KW - Child KW - Family KW - Overweight KW - Socioeconomic factors KW - Socioeconomic health inequalities Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102178 SN - 2211-3355 VL - 33 ER -