Association between family divorce and children's BMI and meal patterns: the GENDAI Study.

The aim of this work was to explore the associations between family factors, including divorce, and children's overweight as well as eating and physical activity patterns in a population-based sample of healthy school-aged children. In this cross-sectional study, 1,138 children (53% girls; age: 11.2 +/- 0.7 years) from elementary schools in the Attica region participated. Their parents provided sociodemographic information, including their marital status. Overweight status classification was based on weight and height measurements and BMI evaluation. Children completed a physical activity checklist and a questionnaire on meal patterns and eating behaviors. The Eating Style score was calculated: the higher the score, the more frequent a child was engaged in less-structured feeding practices promoting food intake for reasons other than hunger. Analysis revealed significant association between family divorce and children's overweight: compared with children of married parents, those of divorced had significantly higher BMI levels (20.0 +/- 3.6 kg/m(2) vs. 21.3 +/- 3.4 kg/m(2), respectively, P = 0.007). Controlling for socioeconomic and physical activity factors, divorce remains a significant predictor of a higher BMI, along with older age, higher father's and mother's BMI, less children in the family, and more minutes of daily screen time. Children who had experienced a divorce in their family also reported higher Eating Style score, even after adjusting for potential confounders. In conclusion, in this sample of fifth and sixth graders, unfavorable family circumstances have been associated with children's overweight, as well as with aspects of their eating behavior, namely eating style in relation to conditions around food consumption and hunger, independent of other socioeconomic factors.

The Gene-Diet Attica investigation on childhood obesity (GENDAI): overview of the study design.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the role of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of childhood obesity, a major health problem worldwide. METHODS: The Gene-Diet Attica Investigation on childhood obesity (GENDAI) evaluates the contributions to and pivotal interactions of genetic, dietary and physical activity variables on children's weight. We describe the design, methodology, and present preliminary data. So far, 920 participants have been enrolled and the final projected sample is 1000 fifth- and sixth-grade students from selected elementary schools in Attica (10-14 years). In this school-based cross-sectional study, more than 400 variables describing anthropometric, dietary, clinical, genetic, sociodemographic and other lifestyle characteristics were collected from participating children and their families. RESULTS: Increased body mass index was identified in 39.3% of subjects (30.5% overweight and 8.8% obese), with males presenting a more unfavorable metabolic profile, i.e., higher blood lipids, glucose, and insulin, compared to females. Normal-weight children had a significant advantage when compared to all children of increased weight in terms of lipid profile and insulin, as well as behaviors examined. Specifically, normal-weight children exhibited less skipping of meals and less sedentary activities. CONCLUSIONS: The overall high prevalence of overweight and obesity in the current population is significant and underscores the need for environmental and genetic information that will shed light on the phenomenon of childhood obesity.