Association of Birth Weight, Body Composition and Blood Pressure During Infancy in 1-Year-Old Jamaican Children

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of birth weight (BW), body composition (BC), and blood pressure (BP) in healthy, one-year-old infants in Jamaica. METHODS: A cross-sectional study where fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) was assessed by whole-body bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skinfold thickness measurements in a sample of 101 healthy one-year-old infants (58 girls and 43 boys). Oscillometric Blood Pressure was measured in triplicate in each infant. The main independent variable was birth weight. Pearson's correlation test and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the association between birth weight and body composition and blood pressure.. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between birth weight and fat-free mass(r = 0.35.p = 0.0001) and fat mass(r = 0.25.p = 0.013) at the simple bivariate level, weight, and length significantly correlated with body composition using the multiple linear regression. 12% of girls and 265 of boys had excess body fat. The mean BP was 110/67 mm Hg for boys and 108/67 mm Hg for girls. At the bivariate level, birth weight was significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.21, p = 0.019). There was no association between birth weight and blood pressure in the regression models. Socioeconomic status did not impact the association of birth weight and body composition in this study. Significant associations were observed between birth weight and fat-free mass(r = 0.35.p = 0.0001) and fat mass(r = 0.25.p = 0.013) at the simple bivariate level, weight, and length significantly correlated with body composition using the multiple linear regression. 12% of girls and 265 of boys had excess body fat. The mean BP was 110/67 mm Hg for boys and 108/67 mm Hg for girls. At the bivariate level, birth weight was significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.21, p = 0.019). There was no association between birth weight and blood pressure in the regression models. Socioeconomic status did not impact the association of birth weight and body composition in this study. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of one-year-old infants, birth weight was associated with fat-free mass and fat mass, and weight and length were associated with fat-free mass, fat mass, and percentage body fat. FUNDING SOURCES: This research was not funded.