Does childcare influence the risk of overweight and obesity in the early years? Findings from the UK millennium cohort study
- 1MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Public Health, London, UK
- 2York and Humberside Public Health Observatory, York, UK
- 3Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
Objectives
To explore whether childcare type (parent, informal, formal) is associated with overweight in children, and whether this differs by socio-economic background.
Design
Nationally representative prospective cohort study.
Setting
Children born in the UK in 2000–2002.
Participants
12 354 children with information on childcare between 9 months and 3 years, and height and weight data at age 3.
Main Outcome Measure
Overweight (including obesity) at age 3 defined by the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs for body mass index.
Results
Children who were cared for in informal childcare were more likely to …
