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Teich P, Golle K, Kliegl R. Association between time of assessment within a school year and physical fitness of primary school children. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11500. [PMID: 38769417 PMCID: PMC11106081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61038-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The dissociation of effects of age, time of assessment and cohort is a well-known challenge in developmental science. We examined effects of time of assessment in the school year on children's physical fitness using data from 75,362 German third-graders from seven cohorts. Children were tested once either in the first or second school term of third grade. Tests examined cardiorespiratory endurance (6-min run), coordination (star-run), speed (20-m sprint), lower (standing long jump) and upper (ball-push test) limbs muscle power, and flexibility (stand-and-reach test). We estimated the effect of time of assessment using a regression discontinuity design specified in a linear mixed model with random factors child and school and adjusted for age, sex, and cohort effects. Coordination, speed, and upper limbs muscle power were better in second compared to first school term, with boys exhibiting a larger increase of upper limbs muscle power than girls. There was no evidence for changes in cardiorespiratory endurance, lower limbs muscle power, and flexibility between assessments. Previously reported age and sex effects as well as secular fitness trends were replicated. There is thus evidence for improvement of some physical fitness components beyond age and cohort effects that presumably reflects the benefit of physical activity in physical education and other settings. Effects of assessment time should be taken into consideration in performance-based grading or norm-based selection of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Teich
- Division of Training and Movement Science, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, Building 12, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Kathleen Golle
- Division of Training and Movement Science, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, Building 12, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Reinhold Kliegl
- Division of Training and Movement Science, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, Building 12, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
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Candela-Martínez B, Ramallo-Ros S, Cañabate J, Martínez-Carrión JM. Month of birth and height. A case study in rural Spain. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022; 47:101157. [PMID: 35834878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Season of birth correlates to a wide range of health conditions throughout life measured by anthropometrics. This study explores whether the month of birth and weather during gestation influence male adult height, based on Spain's rural population before the end of the modernization process. METHODS The database of heights (N = 16.266) is composed of conscripts who reached the age of 21 between 1908 and 1985 (birth cohorts 1886-1965). The population sample has been taken from a municipality in inner Spain: Hellín, in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, mainly an agrarian area, with poor resources and low income until the 1970 s/1980 s. Two different methodologies have been implemented: a harmonic regression using sinusoidal covariables and a random forest model. RESULTS we find that being born at the end of the summer and during the autumn was favorable to height. The birth month with the highest statures is September, with heights 0.5 cm above the annual average and 0.9 cm above February, the birth month with the lowest average height. Furthermore, we can observe that rainfall and temperature during gestation had little additional influence due to a substitution effect with the birth month variable. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the seasonal effects on height can be significant and that it can be partially affected by environmental factors during early life. Our findings could be of interest for low-income populations and developing rural societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Candela-Martínez
- International School of Doctoral Studies, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Salvador Ramallo-Ros
- International School of Doctoral Studies, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | | | - José-Miguel Martínez-Carrión
- Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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3
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Moreno JP, Musaad S, Dadabhoy H, Baranowski T, Crowley SJ, Thompson D, Chen TA, Johnston CA. Seasonality of Children’s Height and Weight and Their Contribution to Accelerated Summer Weight Gain. Front Physiol 2022; 13:793999. [PMID: 35665226 PMCID: PMC9159375 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.793999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: While children have been shown to have increased BMI during the summer compared to the school year, it is not known if this may be due to seasonal variations in height or weight separately. Methods: Trained nurses measured heights (cm) and weights (kg) in a cohort of Kindergarteners (n = 7648) twice per year from the beginning of kindergarten through 5th grade. Variation in height and weight by season (school year vs. summer) was examined using separate mixed-effects models. Season, sex, and BMI trajectory group were tested as fixed effects. Random effects included repeated measurements of time, students nested within a school, intercept, and slope for growth over time. Similar models using BMIz as the outcome examined the interaction of height or weight with season. Results: The rate of height gain was greater during the school year (∼Sept to April) compared to summer (∼April to Sept) (β = -0.05, SE = 0.013, p < 0.0001). The rate of weight gain did not differ seasonally. Height gain was more strongly associated with increased BMIz during summer compared to the school year (β =.02, SE = 0.005, p <0 .0001), mainly among children who remained healthy weight throughout elementary school (β = 0.014, SE = 0.003, p < 0.0001) and those who transitioned to a healthier weight status (β = 0.026, SE = 0.008, p = 0.004). We found a similar seasonal effect for the association between weight with BMIz among children who maintained a healthy weight status (β = 0.014, SE = 0.014, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study indicates seasonality in children’s height gain, gaining height at a faster rate during the school year compared to the summer, while weight gain remained relatively more consistent throughout the year. Seasonality in height and weight gain had the greatest impact on BMIz among children with a healthy weight status. Future research with more frequent measurements is needed to better understand the seasonal regulation of children’s growth and weight gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennette P. Moreno
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Pediatrics-Nutrition, Houston, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Jennette P. Moreno,
| | - Salma Musaad
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Pediatrics-Nutrition, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hafza Dadabhoy
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Pediatrics-Nutrition, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Tom Baranowski
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Pediatrics-Nutrition, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Stephanie J. Crowley
- Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Debbe Thompson
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Pediatrics-Nutrition, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Tzuan A. Chen
- HEALTH Research Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Craig A. Johnston
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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Abstract
We provide a dataset of millions of hormone tests from medical records that shows seasonality with a winter−spring peak in hormones for reproduction, growth, metabolism, and stress adaptation. Together with a long history of studies on a winter−spring peak in human function and growth, the hormone seasonality indicates that, like other animals, humans may have a physiological peak season for basic biological functions. We further use the specific seasonal phases of the hormones to suggest a model for a circannual clock in humans and animals that can keep track of the seasons, similar in spirit to the circadian clock that keeps track of time of day. Hormones control the major biological functions of stress response, growth, metabolism, and reproduction. In animals, these hormones show pronounced seasonality, with different set-points for different seasons. In humans, the seasonality of these hormones remains unclear, due to a lack of datasets large enough to discern common patterns and cover all hormones. Here, we analyze an Israeli health record on 46 million person-years, including millions of hormone blood tests. We find clear seasonal patterns: The effector hormones peak in winter−spring, whereas most of their upstream regulating pituitary hormones peak only months later, in summer. This delay of months is unexpected because known delays in the hormone circuits last hours. We explain the precise delays and amplitudes by proposing and testing a mechanism for the circannual clock: The gland masses grow with a timescale of months due to trophic effects of the hormones, generating a feedback circuit with a natural frequency of about a year that can entrain to the seasons. Thus, humans may show coordinated seasonal set-points with a winter−spring peak in the growth, stress, metabolism, and reproduction axes.
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Seasonal Variations in Childhood and Adolescent Growth: Experience of Pediatric Endocrine Clinics. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8050404. [PMID: 34067734 PMCID: PMC8155986 DOI: 10.3390/children8050404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Background: Children experience seasonal variations in growth whereby height increases most in spring and least in autumn, and weight increases least in spring and most in autumn. We hypothesized that activity restriction caused by efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) would result in increased body mass index (BMI) in children, differing from conventional seasonal growth variations. Methods: We included 169 children who visited endocrine clinics of three hospitals in Korea at regular intervals under the same conditions for two years. Visit dates were D1 (January, 2019), D2 (July, 2019), D3 (January, 2020) before the COVID-19 outbreak, and D4 (July, 2020) during the pandemic. Differences in the z-score for height (HT), weight (WT), and BMI among time points and between spring seasons (i.e., S1–S3) were compared. Results: There were significant differences in BMIz among time points, which decreased from D1–D2 and increased from D2–D3 and D3–D4. WTz significantly increased from D2–D3 and D3–D4. BMIz values of S1 (spring 2019) and S3 (spring 2020) were −0.05 and 0.16, respectively, showing significant differences. WTz values between S1 and S3 were significantly different (−0.02 vs. 0.13). Conclusions: In 2019, there were conventional seasonal variations in BMIz, which declined in spring and increased in autumn, while in 2020, BMIz increased even in spring. The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected seasonal variations in the growth of children attending endocrine clinics.
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Narumi S, Ohnuma T, Takehara K, Morisaki N, Urayama KY, Hattori T. Evaluating the seasonality of growth in infants using a mobile phone application. NPJ Digit Med 2020; 3:138. [PMID: 33102789 PMCID: PMC7578091 DOI: 10.1038/s41746-020-00345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been observed that growth velocity of toddlers and school children shows seasonal variation, while such seasonality is unknown in infants. The aim of this study was to examine whether growth velocity (length and weight) of infants differs by seasons. We assessed longitudinal measurement data obtained for 9,409 Japanese infants whose parents used the mobile phone application, "Papatto Ikuji", during the period from January 2014 to October 2017. On average, each infant had 4.8 entries for length and 5.4 entries for weight. The mean daily change in sex- and age-adjusted z-scores between two time points was estimated as the growth velocity during that period: ΔLAZ/day and ΔWAZ/day for length and weight, respectively. We analyzed 20,007 ΔLAZ/day (mean, -0.0022) and 33,236 ΔWAZ/day (mean, 0.0005) measurements, and found that ΔLAZ/day showed seasonal differences with increases during summer. We conducted a multilevel linear regression analysis, in which effects of age, sex, nutrition and season of birth were adjusted, showing significant difference in ΔLAZ/day between winter and summer with a mean ΔLAZ/day difference of 0.0026 (95%CI 0.0015 to 0.0036; P < 0.001). This seasonal difference corresponded to 13% of the average linear growth velocity in 6-month-old infants. A modest effect of nutrition on linear growth was observed with a mean ΔLAZ/day difference of 0.0015 (95%CI 0.0006 to 0.0025; P < 0.001) between predominantly formula-fed infants and breastfed infants. In conclusion, we observed that linear growth, but not weight gain, of Japanese infants showed significant seasonality effects represented by increases in summer and decreases in winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Narumi
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535 Japan
| | - Tetsu Ohnuma
- CAPER Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Kenji Takehara
- Department of Health Policy, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535 Japan
| | - Naho Morisaki
- Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535 Japan
| | - Kevin Y. Urayama
- Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535 Japan
- Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University, Tokyo, 104-0045 Japan
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Verjans-Janssen SRB, Gerards SMPL, Kremers SPJ, Vos SB, Jansen MWJ, Van Kann DHH. Effects of the KEIGAAF intervention on the BMI z-score and energy balance-related behaviors of primary school-aged children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2020; 17:105. [PMID: 32807194 PMCID: PMC7433155 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-020-01012-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to evaluate the one- and two-year effectiveness of the KEIGAAF intervention, a school-based mutual adaptation intervention, on the BMI z-score (primary outcome), and energy balance-related behaviors (secondary outcomes) of children aged 7-10 years.A quasi-experimental study was conducted including eight intervention schools and three control schools located in low socioeconomic neighborhoods in the Netherlands. Baseline measurements were conducted in March and April 2017 and repeated after one and 2 years. Data were collected on children's BMI z-score, sedentary behavior (SB), physical activity (PA) behavior, and nutrition behavior through the use of anthropometric measurements, accelerometers, and questionnaires, respectively. All data were supplemented with demographics, and weather conditions data was added to the PA data. Based on the comprehensiveness of implemented physical activities, intervention schools were divided into schools having a comprehensive PA approach and schools having a less comprehensive approach. Intervention effects on continuous outcomes were analyzed using multiple linear mixed models and on binary outcome measures using generalized estimating equations. Intervention and control schools were compared, as well as comprehensive PA schools, less comprehensive PA schools, and control schools. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated.In total, 523 children participated. Children were on average 8.5 years old and 54% were girls. After 2 years, intervention children's BMI z-score decreased (B = -0.05, 95% CI -0.11;0.01) significantly compared to the control group (B = 0.20, 95% CI 0.09;0.31). Additionally, the intervention prevented an age-related decline in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (%MVPA: B = 0.95, 95% CI 0.13;1.76). Negative intervention effects were seen on sugar-sweetened beverages and water consumption at school, due to larger favorable changes in the control group compared to the intervention group. After 2 years, the comprehensive PA schools showed more favorable effects on BMI z-score, SB, and MVPA compared to the other two conditions.This study shows that the KEIGAAF intervention is effective in improving children's MVPA during school days and BMI z-score, especially in vulnerable children. Additionally, we advocate the implementation of a comprehensive approach to promote a healthy weight status, to stimulate children's PA levels, and to prevent children from spending excessive time on sedentary behaviors.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register, NTR6716 ( NL6528 ), Registered 27 June 2017 - retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sacha R B Verjans-Janssen
- Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6229, HA, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Sanne M P L Gerards
- Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6229, HA, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Stef P J Kremers
- Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6229, HA, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Steven B Vos
- Department of Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612, AZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,School of Sport Studies, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, 5644, HZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Maria W J Jansen
- Academic Collaborative Center for Public Health, Public Health Service South-Limburg, 6400, AA, Heerlen, The Netherlands.,Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, 6229, GT, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Dave H H Van Kann
- Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6229, HA, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,School of Sport Studies, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, 5644, HZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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8
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Kabukçu C, Çil N, Turan T, Özlülerden Y, Çabuş Ü, Abban Mete G. Do seasonal variations in ambient temperature, humidity and daylight duration affect semen parameters? A retrospective analysis over eight years. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13777. [PMID: 32786091 DOI: 10.1111/and.13777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the possible effects of seasonal variation on semen parameters. We retrospectively analysed the data of 6,116 semen samples collected at a university hospital for eight years. The past ambient temperature, relative humidity and daylight duration records, and birth registry of the province were obtained to examine the relationship of seasonal changes in semen parameters with annual birth rates and environmental factors. The mean age was 33.03 ± 6.86 years. We found a significant difference between months for sperm concentration (p < .0001), total sperm count (p < .0001), progressively motile sperm count (p < .0001) and normal sperm morphology (p = .028). The sperm concentration and total count were significantly lower in July and August compared with December, May and June. The progressively motile sperm count in October was 23.6% less than the value of May. The temperature and temperature-humidity index were negatively correlated with semen parameters. The highest number of births was in the summer. However, no correlation was present between deliveries and the semen concentration regarding months (rs = 0.199, p = .083). In conclusion, we observed significant seasonal and monthly differences in sperm concentration, sperm count and progressively motile sperm count. Increased ambient temperature due to seasonal changes may be a detrimental factor for semen parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cihan Kabukçu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Nazlı Çil
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Tahir Turan
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Özlülerden
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Ümit Çabuş
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Gülçin Abban Mete
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
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Moreno JP, Crowley SJ, Alfano CA, Thompson D. Physiological mechanisms underlying children's circannual growth patterns and their contributions to the obesity epidemic in elementary school age children. Obes Rev 2020; 21:e12973. [PMID: 31737994 PMCID: PMC7002188 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Several studies since the 1990s have demonstrated that children increase their body mass index at a faster rate during summer months compared with the school year, leading some to conclude that the out-of-school summer environment is responsible. Other studies, however, have suggested that seasonality may play a role in children's height and weight changes across the year. This article reviews evidence for seasonal differences in the rate of children's height and weight gain and proposes potential physiological mechanisms that may explain these seasonal variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennette P Moreno
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephanie J Crowley
- Biological Rhythm Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Candice A Alfano
- Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston (SACH), Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Debbe Thompson
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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VanWormer JJ, Kieke BA, Hanrahan LP, Pomeroy JJ, Mundy A, Schoeller DA. Circannual growth in Wisconsin children and adolescents: Identifying optimal periods of obesity prevention. Pediatr Obes 2020; 15:e12572. [PMID: 31595686 PMCID: PMC6920552 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest kids tend to gain the most weight in summer, but schools are chastised for supporting obesogenic environments. Conclusions on circannual weight gain are hampered by infrequent body mass index (BMI) measurements, and guidance is limited on the optimal timeframe for paediatric weight interventions. OBJECTIVES This study characterized circannual trends in BMI in Wisconsin children and adolescents and identified sociodemographic differences in excess weight gain. METHODS An observational study was used to pool data from 2010 to 2015 to examine circannual BMI z-score trends for Marshfield Clinic patients age 3 to 17 years. Daily 0.20, 0.50, and 0.80 quantiles of BMI z-score were estimated, stratified by gender, race, and age. RESULTS BMI z-scores increased July to September, followed by a decrease in October to December, and another increase to decrease cycle beginning in February. For adolescents, the summer increase in BMI was greater among those in the upper BMI z-score quantile relative to those in the lower quantile (+0.15 units vs +0.04 units). This pattern was opposite in children. CONCLUSIONS BMI increased most rapidly in late summer. This growth persisted through autumn in adolescents who were larger, suggesting weight management support may be beneficial for kids who are overweight at the start of the school year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J. VanWormer
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute (Marshfield, WI)
| | - Burney A. Kieke
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute (Marshfield, WI)
| | - Lawrence P. Hanrahan
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI)
| | - Jeremy J. Pomeroy
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute (Marshfield, WI)
| | - Alex Mundy
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI)
| | - Dale A. Schoeller
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI)
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11
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Finaret AB, Masters WA. Correcting for artifactual correlation between misreported month of birth and attained height-for-age reduces but does not eliminate measured vulnerability to season of birth in poorer countries. Am J Clin Nutr 2019; 110:485-497. [PMID: 31179496 PMCID: PMC6669063 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) are associated with month of birth (MOB) in many nutrition surveys, but that link could be an artifactual result of measurement error in child birthdates. OBJECTIVE We corrected estimates of the associations between HAZ and MOB for a common type of age misreporting, to measure the remaining seasonality in HAZ and identify country characteristics associated with vulnerability to seasonal changes in early life. DESIGN We used nationally representative repeated cross-sections from all available Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), totaling 1,363,806 children from 218 surveys in 72 countries over 1986-2016, to estimate the seasonal patterns in HAZ by MOB within each survey. Then, we corrected these estimates for each survey's random errors in recorded birth month implied by differences in attained height between children reported as born in December of one year versus January of the next. Indicators of seasonal variation between other months were modeled as functions of national-level incomes using linear regression, and visualizations were constructed using nonparametric local polynomial smoothing regressions. RESULTS Over all surveys, misreporting MOB accounted for about one-eighth of the gap in attained height between the worst and best months to be born, which averaged 0.41 HAZ in the raw data and 0.34 HAZ after correction for age misreporting. A linear correction reduced apparent seasonality of HAZ by MOB in 49 of 72 countries, and the remaining nonartifactual differences by season of birth were larger in countries with lower average income per capita. CONCLUSIONS Measurement error in child MOB helps to explain the association between attained height and seasonal variation in early life environments, but significant seasonality in HAZ by MOB remains in many poor countries. Higher national income is associated with smoother outcomes across birth months, and birth registration efforts would improve nutrition research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia B Finaret
- Program in Global Health Studies, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA 16335, USA,Address correspondence to ABF (e-mail: )
| | - William A Masters
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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12
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Kolar DR, Bühren K, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Becker K, Egberts K, Ehrlich S, Fleischhaker C, von Gontard A, Hahn F, Huss M, Jaite C, Kaess M, Legenbauer T, Renner TJ, Roessner V, Schulze U, Sinzig J, Wessing I, Hebebrand J, Föcker M, Jenetzky E. Seasonal variation of BMI at admission in German adolescents with anorexia nervosa. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203844. [PMID: 30204793 PMCID: PMC6133390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Recent preliminary studies indicated a seasonal association of BMI at admission to inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN), indicating lower BMI in the cold season for restrictive AN. An impaired thermoregulation was proposed as the causal factor, based on findings in animal models of AN. However, findings regarding seasonality of BMI and physical activity levels in the general population indicate lower BMI and higher physical activity in summer than in winter. Therefore, we aimed to thoroughly replicate the findings regarding seasonality of BMI at admission in patients with AN in this study. Method AN subtype, age- and gender-standardized BMI scores (BMI-SDS) at admission, mean daily sunshine duration and ambient temperature at the residency of 304 adolescent inpatients with AN of the multi-center German AN registry were analyzed. Results A main effect of DSM-5 AN subtype was found (F(2,298) = 6.630, p = .002), indicating differences in BMI-SDS at admission between restrictive, binge/purge and subclinical AN. No main effect of season on BMI-SDS at admission was found (F(1,298) = 4.723, p = .025), but an interaction effect of DSM-5 subtype and season was obtained (F(2,298) = 6.625, p = .001). Post-hoc group analyses revealed a lower BMI-SDS in the warm season for restrictive AN with a non-significant small effect size (t(203.16) = 2.140, p = .033; Hedges′g = 0.28). Small correlations of mean ambient temperature (r = −.16) and daily sunshine duration (r = −.22) with BMI-SDS in restrictive AN were found. However, the data were widely scattered. Conclusions Our findings are contrary to previous studies and question the thermoregulatory hypothesis, indicating that seasonality in AN is more complex and might be subject to other biological or psychological factors, for example physical activity or body dissatisfaction. Our results indicate only a small clinical relevance of seasonal associations of BMI-SDS merely at admission. Longitudinal studies investigating within-subject seasonal changes might be more promising to assess seasonality in AN and of higher clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Kolar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medicine of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Katharina Bühren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Katja Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Karin Egberts
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Eating Disorders Research and Treatment Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Division of Psychological & Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alexander von Gontard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Freia Hahn
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, LVR–Hospital Viersen, Viersen, Germany
| | - Michael Huss
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medicine of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Charlotte Jaite
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Charité –Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Kaess
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Legenbauer
- LWL University Hospital Hamm for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Tobias J. Renner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schulze
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Judith Sinzig
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, LVR-Klinik Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ida Wessing
- Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Johannes Hebebrand
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Manuel Föcker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ekkehart Jenetzky
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medicine of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
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Chronobiological Hypothesis about the Association Between Height Growth Seasonality and Geographical Differences in Body Height According to Effective Day Length. J Circadian Rhythms 2016. [PMCID: PMC5388030 DOI: 10.5334/jcr.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on growth hormone therapy in children have shown that height velocity is greater in summer than in winter and that this difference increases with latitude. It is hypothesized that summer daylight is a causative factor and that geographical distribution of body height will approximate the distribution of summer day length over time. This is an ecological analysis of prefecture-level data on the height of Japanese youth. Mesh climatic data of effective day length were collated. While height velocity was greatest during the summer, the height of Japanese youth was strongly and negatively correlated with the distribution of winter effective day length. Therefore, it is anticipated that summer height velocity is greater according to winter day length (dark period). This may be due to epigenetic modifications, involving reversible DNA methylation and thyroid hormone regulation found in the reproductive system of seasonal breeding vertebrates. If the function is applicable to humans, summer height growth may quantitatively increase with winter day length, and height growth seasonality can be explained by thyroid hormone activities that-induced by DNA methylation-change depending on the seasonal difference in day length. Moreover, geographical differences in body height may be caused by geographical differences in effective day length, which could influence melatonin secretion among subjects who spend a significant time indoors.
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