DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.26734.1 ISSN: 2398-502X

Longitudinal adiposity trajectories in White British and Pakistani children: differential associations with maternal BMI and glycaemia

Gillian Santorelli, Jane West, John Wright, Deborah Lawlor
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Abstract Background Maternal BMI and gestational glycaemia are associated with higher offspring adiposity, but it remains unclear whether these associations differ by ethnicity and fat distribution. We examined longitudinal associations of maternal BMI and fasting glucose with offspring total, central, and peripheral adiposity from birth to mid-childhood in White British and Pakistani children. Methods We analysed data from 8,857 mother–child pairs in the Born in Bradford cohort. Offspring adiposity was assessed using repeated measures of weight, BMI, subscapular skinfold thickness (SSF), and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) from birth to ages 7–8 years; BMI was assessed from ages 4–8 years only. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate adiposity trajectories in relation to maternal BMI and fasting glucose, including interactions by ethnicity and age. Results Higher maternal BMI was associated with greater offspring adiposity across childhood in both ethnic groups, although patterns differed by adiposity measure. At age 7.5 years, maternal BMI of 30 kg/m 2 compared with 20 kg/m 2 was associated with higher predicted BMI z-score in both White British and Pakistani children, with differences of approximately 0.30–0.37 SD. For central adiposity, larger differences were observed in Pakistani children. At age 7.5, the predicted difference in SSF z-score comparing maternal BMI 30 kg/m 2 with 20 kg/m 2 was approximately +0.32 SD in Pakistani children and +0.27 SD in White British children. Higher maternal fasting glucose was associated with greater offspring adiposity, particularly for skinfold thickness, although ethnic differences in predicted contrasts varied by age and outcome. Formal statistical evidence for interaction by ethnicity was limited. Conclusions Maternal BMI and glycaemia were associated with offspring adiposity trajectories from early life, with larger differences for central adiposity. BMI alone may underestimate ethnic differences in adiposity development.

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