Rates of childhood obesity are increasing worldwide. In the UK, nearly a quarter of under-fives are overweight or obese. This increases to more than a third by the time children start secondary school.
Children who are obese are more likely to be obese adults, with long-term consequences for their health. Unhealthy diets are an important factor that contributes to this.
New research, led by Dr. Sarah Crozier, Associate Professor of Statistical Epidemiology at the University of Southampton, has found children aged eight or nine were more likely to be obese if their mother had a poor diet during - and before - pregnancy. The research identifies these as critical times when initiatives to reduce childhood obesity may be more effective.
The researchers analysed data on the diets of 2,963 mother-child pairs who were part of the UK Southampton Women's Survey - a long-running study that tracks the health of mothers and their children. Women joined it before pregnancywhen they were first considering having a baby.
As part of the survey, the women were interviewed and their answers were used to fill in questionnaires on their diet and that of their child. The researchers asked about the mother's diet before they became pregnant and when they were 11 and 34 weeks pregnant. They also asked about what the child ate at six months, one year, three years, six to seven years, and eight to nine years of age.
The dietary information collected was used to give each mother-child pair a combined diet quality score. They used these scores to divide them into five groups: poor, poor-medium, medium, medium-better and best.