Ethnic inequalities in early overweight: determinants and consequences

Overweight is a major public health issue that is often occurring during childhood. Approximately 14% of the 2-21 year old children are overweight or obese. Although the current obesity epidemic in children seems to be levelling off, children from ethnic minority groups do not seem to benefit from this trend. In the Netherlands, children from Turkish and Moroccan origin have the largest prevalence of overweight. From a preventive point of view, a better understanding of the early determinants of overweight, particularly if these are ethnic specific, is important in order to explain and address these ethnic inequalities.
This thesis is divided into two parts: PART ONE (Determinants of ethnic inequalities in early overweight, chapters 2 to 5): Describes determinants that are associated with childhood overweight and that might explain ethnic inequalities in overweight among Dutch, African descent, Turkish, and Moroccan ethnic groups living in the Netherlands, and (in one study) among white, blacks, and Hispanics living in the USA. In this part we discuss three important determinants of childhood overweight: pre- and postnatal factors, (infant) diet, and maternal perception of her child’s weight. PART TWO (Consequences of ethnic inequalities in early overweight, chapters 6 and 7): Discusses whether or not ethnic inequalities in cardiometabolic risk factors (such as blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels) already exist at the age of 5-6 years.