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. 2023 Jan 6:56:116.
doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2022056004022. eCollection 2023.

Gestational age, intrauterine growth and body composition at 11 years of age

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Caroline Cardozo Bortolotto  1 , Iná da Silva Dos Santos  1 , Juliana Dos Santos Vaz  1   2 , Alicia Matijasevich  1   3
Affiliations

Gestational age, intrauterine growth and body composition at 11 years of age

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Caroline Cardozo Bortolotto et al. Rev Saude Publica. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Objetive: To assess the association of gestational age (GA) and intrauterine growth with body composition at 11 years of age.

Method: Analysis of data from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort, whose outcomes were fat mass (FM, kg), fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2), fat-free mass (FFM, kg), fat-free mass index (FFMI, kg/m2) - measured by air displacement plethysmography - and body mass index for age (BMI/age, Z-score). The exposures of interest were the gestational index (GA) of infants born at less than 33 weeks, from 34 to 36 and from 37 to 41, and intrauterine growth categorized as small (SGA), adequate (AGA) and large (LGA) for gestational age. Analysis of variance was used to compare means and linear regression was used to assess the strength of association. The analyses were adjusted according to variables collected at birth, such as monthly family income, maternal characteristics - education, age, pre-gestational body mass index (BMI), weight gain during pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, type of delivery, and parity - and adolescent characteristics - skin color and birth weight. For analysis, FM and FMI underwent logarithmic transformation due to data asymmetry.

Results: A total of 3,401 adolescents were analyzed, including boys and girls born at less than 33 weeks, with lower FM and FFM means than those born at term. However, in the adjusted analyses, there was no association between GA and any of the outcomes in either sex. LGA boys had a 10.5% higher FMI (p = 0.026) and +0.3 BMI/age Z-score (p = 0.019) as compared to AGA boys, and LGA girls had +0.3 kg/m 2 of FFMI (p = 0.039) than AGA girls.

Conclusion: GA was not associated with body composition at 11 years of age. However, LGA boys had higher BMI and BMI/age Z-score, and LGA girls had higher FFMI than AGA girls.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a associação da idade gestacional (IG) e crescimento intrauterino com a composição corporal aos 11 anos de idade.

MÉTODO: Análise de dados da coorte de nascimentos de Pelotas de 2004, cujos desfechos foram massa gorda (MG, kg), índice de massa gorda (IMG, kg/m2), massa livre de gordura (MLG, kg), índice de massa livre de gordura (IMLG, kg/m2) – medidos por pletismografia por deslocamento de ar –, e índice de massa corporal para idade (IMC/Idade, escore-Z). Sendo as exposições de interesse o índice gestacional (IG) de nascidos com menos de 33 semanas, de 34 a 36 e de 37 a 41, e crescimento intrauterino categorizado em pequeno para a idade gestacional (PIG), adequado (AIG) e grande (GIG). Para comparar médias, utilizou-se análise de variância e, para avaliar a força de associação, regressão linear. As análises foram ajustadas de acordo com variáveis coletadas ao nascer, como renda familiar mensal, características maternas – escolaridade, idade, índice de massa corporal (IMC) pré-gestacional, ganho de peso na gestação, tabagismo na gestação, tipo de parto e paridade – e características dos adolescentes – cor da pele e peso ao nascer. Para análise, o MG e o IMG sofreram transformação logarítmica devido a assimetria dos dados.

RESULTADOS: Foram analisados 3.401 adolescentes, entre meninos e meninas nascidos com menos de 33 semanas, com médias de MG e MLG menores que as dos nascidos(as) a termo. Porém, nas análises ajustadas, não houve associação entre IG e qualquer um dos desfechos em ambos os sexos. Meninos GIG apresentaram IMG 10,5% maior (p = 0,026) e +0,3 escore-Z de IMC/Idade (p = 0,019) em relação aos AIG, e meninas GIG apresentaram +0,3 kg/m2 de IMLG (p = 0,039) do que as AIG.

CONCLUSÃO: A IG não se associou à composição corporal aos 11 anos. Entretanto, meninos GIG apresentaram maiores IMG e escore-Z de IMC/Idade e meninas GIG, maior IMLG, quando comparados aos AIG.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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