Childhood obesity lower with household routines

	Tweet

Regular family dinners, adequate sleep and limited television may prevent obesity in preschool-age children, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics.

Researchers found an almost 40% lower prevalence of obesity among 4-year-olds who had regular family dinners at least six times a week, slept a minimum of 10.5 hours each weeknight and watched no more than two hours of television or videos every weekday.

“Pediatricians may want to bring these topics up to the parents of their patients. And parents should think about what it would take to [implement] these routines for their child,” said Sarah Anderson, PhD, study co-author and assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University’s College of Public Health.

Researchers analyzed data from 8,550 U.S-born 4-year-olds who were assessed in 2005 in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics to examine the learning environments, health and development of young U.S. children.

More than half of the children were said to have a family dinner at least six nights a week. The study found 57.5% slept 10.5 hours or more each weeknight, and 40.4% watched no more than two hours of TV and videos each weekday.

Researchers said 12.4% of the children lived in homes that practiced none of the routines.

The study found each of the household routines was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of obesity.

In households where all three routines were practiced, 14.3% of the children were obese. In homes with two routines, 15.8% were obese, and the rate was 20.9% in homes with one routine.

About 25% of children were obese in homes with none of the routines.

The prevalence of children’s exposure to the routines varied by the child’s race, ethnicity, household income and maternal obesity.

“The implication is that these three household routines may be promising behavior targets for obesity prevention,” Anderson said. “We know it’s going to be harder for some families than others [to implement these], but all families can think about what it would take to have these routines.”

---
By Christine S. Moyer, amednews staff

RELATED STORIES:
Smoking Hits New Low for White California Kids   Secondhand smoke may disrupt asthmatic kids’ sleep   7 Ways for Kids to Have a Slimmer Summer   Reducing Health Risks for Women and Children   Mystery disease blinds Amazon children in Brazil   U.S. program aims to help babies beat obesity odds   Benefits of adenotonsillectomy persist in kids   Elementary School Intervention Increases Mental, Sexual Health, Economic Status   New Approach Suggested for Monitoring Child Health in Developing Countries   Are Sleepy Kids at Risk for Obesity?   When Overeating, Calories, Not Protein, Contribute to Increase in Body Fat   Anemia following surgery for morbid obesity

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]