Association of weight at birth in the development of overweight/obesity in schools aged from 5-9 years in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Changes in the nutritional profile of the population in recent decades have led to an increase in obesity in adults and children. Birth weight may be a determinant of overweight/obesity risk and is considered a health indicator, which may influence the childs growth and development, also affecting health in adulthood. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to check the association between birth weight and overweight/obesity in children aged 5 to 9 years. METHODS: Observational and descriptive cross-sectional study with primary data on a sample of 500 schoolchildren aged 5 to 9 years, enrolled in public institutions in Fortaleza, CE. Primary data was collected with a structured form, family history and measures of weight and height at the time of the interview. Continuous variables were compared using non-parametric tests and categories of independent variables using chi-square and Fishers exact test, with a p-value<0.05. RESULTS: Both low weight (<2.500g) and weight over 3.500g were positively correlated with the presence of overweight/obesity, with 40.54% of those born with low weight and 52.9% of those born with weight over 3.500g were overweight/obese at school age (p=0.001). A statistically significant association was found with the lowest social class (OR=3.51, 95%CI: 1.60-7.69), with the highest per capita income (OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.08-2.33) and with birth weight over 3.500g (OR=2.55, 95%CI: 1.67-3.90). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between overweight/obesity and birth weight, corroborated by other studies that investigate the same association.