Childhood obesity and its association with appetite regulation patterns and early weight gain in infants

Intervention: Prospective observation and measurement of infant growth and appetite traits over 12 months with no intervention applied

Practitioner

What was found

Satiety responsiveness at 4 weeks predicted slower weight gain through 12 months (β: -0.16, 95% CI: -0.28, -0.03)

Food responsiveness at 4 weeks predicted faster weight gain through 12 months (β: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.19)

Faster weight gain from 4-6 weeks predicted higher enjoyment of food and food responsiveness at 12 months

Faster weight gain from 6-12 months predicted lower satiety responsiveness at 12 months (β: -0.18, 95% CI: -0.35, -0.01)

Who it was tested with: 450 healthy term infants followed for 12 months with appetite assessments at 4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.

Type of design

PractitionerProspective cohort study with longitudinal measurement of weight-for-age z-scores and appetite traits (assessed via Baby and Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaires) at multiple timepoints; multivariabl

Experience from people who deliver programmes: stories, case studies and lessons learned. Valuable for understanding how and why, and for spotting what to test next, but not a measure of effect.

"Multivariable linear regression was used to analyse bidirectional associations between cWFAZc (0-4wk, 4wk-6m, 6-12m) and appetite traits [at multiple timepoints]." This longitudinal design with repeated measurements at multiple timepoints constitutes an experimental approach that can detect associations over time, though it remains observational without intervention randomization.

Limitations

Study reports associations only and cannot establish causation; country/ies of origin not specified; generalizability unclear; whether these appetite and growth patterns predict later obesity outcomes is not demonstrated in this study

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What was found

Type of design

Limitations

The same intervention in other studies