Fatty fish intake in mothers during pregnancy and in their children in relation to the development of obesity and overweight in childhood: The prospective ABIS study Show others and affiliations
2020 (English) In: Obesity Science & Practice, E-ISSN 2055-2238, Vol. 6, no 1, p. 57-69Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background Although controversial, lower maternal intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) during pregnancy and lower levels of omega-3 PUFA in serum phospholipids during childhood have been related to obesity. The main source of omega-3 PUFA is fatty fish in the diet. Objectives To assess the relationship between overweight/obesity and the intake of fatty fish in maternal diet during pregnancy and in children up to 8 years of age. Methods The prospective cohort All Children in South-East Sweden (ABIS) followed babies from birth to 8 years of age. A total of 6749 children at 5 years of age (boys 52.6%) and 3017 children at 8 years (boys 52.3%) participated. A “fatty-fish index” was constructed on the basis of self-reports of nutritional habits. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children at 5 years were 12.9% and 4.2%, respectively. At 8 years, 12.2% of the children presented overweight and 2.3% obesity. Girls were more affected than boys by overweight/obesity. A higher fish index during pregnancy was not related to overweight/obesity in the children, whereas a higher fish index in the children during the first years of life was related to obesity at 5 and 8 years of age. This relationship disappeared in a multivariable analysis. Maternal body mass index (BMI), maternal education, maternal smoking during pregnancy, birth weight, and physical activity all remained related to overweight/obesity at both 5 and 8 years of age. Conclusion No relationships were found between a lower intake of fatty fish in the diet, neither in mothers during pregnancy nor in early childhood, and increased risk of overweight/obesity.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages WILEY , 2020. Vol. 6, no 1, p. 57-69
Keywords [en]
children; fish; obesity; omega-3; risk factors
National Category
Pediatrics
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-173604 DOI: 10.1002/osp4.377 ISI: 000515562800007 PubMedID: 32128243 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-173604 DiVA, id: diva2:1531386
Note Funding agencies: The Ekhaga Foundation, The Swedish Research Council Formas, The Research Council for the South-East of Sweden, The Östergötland County Council, and Swedish Asthma and Allergy Research Foundation, The Swedish Research Council, and Trygg Hansa Research Foundation
2021-02-252021-02-252021-03-16 Bibliographically approved