The impact of prenatal maternal medication and dietary habits and parental alcohol consumption on childhood obesity and overweight risk in Australia

The impact of prenatal maternal medication and dietary habits and parental alcohol consumption on childhood obesity and overweight risk in Australia

In Australia, approximately a quarter of children are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity and overweight is a risk factor for poor academic performance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, among other issues. The objective of this study is to identify new parental risk factors for the condition, along with mediating factors involved in these relationships, and protective factors that impact upon these relationships. The risk factors examined were parental alcohol consumption and Prenatal Maternal (PM) medication use and dietary exclusion. The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) was used to test for the relationship between these risk factors and childhood obesity and overweight risk. Each wave was individually fitted with a linear model (outcome variable: child body mass index z-score) and a multinomial logistic model (outcome variable: weight status) and known and hypothesized risk factors were treated as independent variables. Generalized estimating equations were also fitted to all waves collectively with similar outcome variables and independent variables. Moderation effects were tested for using the Hayes PROCESS macro and the Iacobucci technique of mediation analysis was used for testing for mediation effects. Heavy parental drinking seemed to be associated with an increased risk of obesity and overweight at certain stages of childhood. Parental warmth appeared to moderate these effects at times. Exclusion of fish and eggs from the PM diet was associated with a higher risk of child obesity and overweight at times. PM dietary supplements did seem to protect against these effects. PM antibiotics, prescription antiemetics, prescription heartburn medicines, over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics and other OTC medicines not listed in LSAC seemed largely neutral in their effects on childhood obesity and overweight risk. Other medications were associated with higher risks of obesity and overweight at certain stages of childhood. PM dietary supplement use did not seem to protect against these effects. These results show that the prenatal maternal diet and medication use, along with parental alcohol consumption are important predictors of childhood obesity and overweight. The results relating to prenatal maternal factors should be used to inform the healthy pregnancy campaign of the Australian Government as for the parental alcohol consumption risk factor it should inform existing public health campaigns aimed at curbing problem alcohol consumption in adults.

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