Abstract

Objectives: A large proportion of children at-risk for overweight and obesity are able to maintain a healthy bodyweight. These children may demonstrate bodyweight resilience. Our objective was to identify factors associated with bodyweight resilience in pre-school children.

Methods: Protective factors were assessed when the child was 9 months, 24 months, and 45 months, cumulative risk for overweight and obesity was assessed at 9 months and 2 years, and bodyweight was assessed at 4.5 years, as part of the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) longitudinal cohort study. Univariate and multivariate models were conducted to investigate protective factors.

Results: Overall 1054 and 313 children were classified as being resilient (at risk and a healthy weight) and non-resilient (at risk and overweight or obese), respectively. Only night-time sleep duration was significantly associated with an increase in the odds of being resilient (p=0.0004), with a 1-hour increase in night-time sleep duration increasing the odds of being in the resilient group by 24% (OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.10-1.39). No significant effects were shown for other protective factors (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Night-time sleep duration may promote bodyweight resilience in children exposed to a cumulative measure of risk for overweight and obesity.