Association of maternal prepregnancy weight and early childhood weight with obesity in adolescence: A population‐based longitudinal cohort study in Japan

BACKGROUND: The impact of birth weight and obesity in early childhood on obesity in adolescence remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of overweight/obesity at age 15 years with birth weight, overweight/obesity in early childhood and overweight/obesity in mothers. METHODS: This population‐based retrospective cohort study used early childhood and school age health check‐up data of 1581 children in Japan, followed‐up until age 15 years. Generalized estimation equation analyses were used to investigate the association of overweight/obesity at age 15 years with low/high birth weight, overweight/obesity in 3 years of age and overweight/obesity in mothers. The cutoff points for all variables were defined by international criteria. RESULTS: Of 1581 mother‐child pairs, 130 (8.2%) children had low birth weight, while 93 (5.9%) and 167 (10.6%) were overweight/obese at age 3 and 15 years, respectively. Overweight/obesity at age 3 years and overweight/obesity in mothers were associated with overweight/obesity at age 15 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.51–7.25 and (aOR, 2.46; 95% CI: 1.41–4.30). No association between low birth weight and overweight/obesity at age 15 years was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight/obesity in mothers and overweight/obesity at 3 years of age, but not birth weight, were associated with overweight/obesity at age 15 years.