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Summer Weight Gain Among Preschool-Aged Children With Obesity: An Observational Study in Head Start.

Jacob P Beckerman-Hsu, Alyssa Aftosmes-Tobio, Kindra Lansburg, Jessie Leonard, Merieka Torrico, Erica L Kenney, S V Subramanian, Sebastien Haneuse, Kirsten K Davison

Journal: Preventing chronic disease 2021;18():E25

PMID: 33734963

Free Full Text on PubMed Central View on PubMed

Abstract

School-aged children gain weight most rapidly in summer, but few studies have investigated summer weight gain among preschool-aged children. We fit continuous linear spline mixed models to test for accelerated summer weight gain among 2,044 children attending 16 Boston-area Head Start programs between fall 2016 and spring 2019. Academic year and summer rates of change in modified body mass index z-score differed (P < .001), with accelerated summer weight gain most pronounced among children with obesity. As with school-aged children, increased focus on the summer is warranted for promoting healthy weight among children in Head Start.

Address: Boston College School of Social Work, McGuinn Hall 106K, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. Email: [email protected].; Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.; Action for Boston Community Development, Boston, Massachusetts.; Community Action Agency of Somerville, Somerville, Massachusetts.; Department of Nutrition and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.; Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts.; Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
DOI: 10.5888/pcd18.200532

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MeSH Terms: Body Mass Index, Child, Child, Preschool, Early Intervention, Educational, Humans, Obesity, Seasons, Weight Gain
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