About the project
The project aimed to explore the longitudinal development of inequalities in body weight between birth and 14 years of age and identify important mediators of these inequalities. Using advanced statistical modeling applied to high quality longitudinal data, the effects of hypothetical interventions on body weight and inequalities of body weight were assessed. To explore the understudied effects of neighborhood physical characteristics on health behaviors and body weight among youth, a combination of approaches (qualitative and quantitative) were used. Related social inequalities were assessed and mechanisms explored.
Objectives
1. To explore the longitudinal development of socioeconomic differences in body weight among a cohort followed from birth to 14 years of age and assess mediators of these socioeconomic differences
2. To assess the impact of hypothetical interventions on these socioeconomic differences using causal inference methods
3. To explore parents' and adolescents' perspectives of barriers and facilitators of healthy lifestyle behaviors focusing on neighborhood food and activity environments
4. To map food and activity environments and explore their effects on lifestyle behaviors and body weight (and inequalities) among adolescents in Oslo using a multilevel cross-sectional study
Background
Overweight and obesity are a significant public health challenge globally, and disproportionately affect those with a low socioeconomic position in developed countries. Despite an increasing commitment at national and international levels, reducing these inequalities has proved challenging, even in settings considered as egalitarian such as Norway. Such inequalities are particularly problematic among children because of both short and long-term consequences, contributing to a vicious circle of inequalities in health. To address this challenge, there is a need to understand when, how and why these inequalities occur and develop throughout childhood. It is also of utmost importance to explore the understudied modifiable factors that contribute to unfavorable health behaviors leading to overweight and obesity and associated inequalities.
Sub-projects
- Sub-project 1: Secondary analyses of data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study
- Sub-project 2: Qualitative survey among adolescents and their parents; development and validation of an environmental mapping tool (food and activity environments)
- Sub-project 3: Cross-sectional multilevel school-based survey among adolescents living in neighborhoods with different levels of affluence
Results
- In subproject 1, data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) were used and analyzed using state-of-the-art and novel analytical approaches to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in children’s weight, height and BMI trajectories, as well as mediators of socioeconomic inequalities in weight-related outcomes from birth to age 14. This sub-project involved close collaboration between UiO, FHI and UCLA.
- A qualitative study (focus group discussions) among adolescents was conducted in three different neighborhoods with different levels of affluence in Oslo aimed to understand similarities and differences in barriers and facilitators of dietary behaviors and physical activity. The study was a close collaboration between UiO, UiB and the University of Amsterdam.
- We modified and adopted an environmental mapping tool of food and activity environment among youth and validated it for use in a Norwegian context. The validation study was successfully conducted as a collaborative effort between members from UiO, Amsterdam UMC and the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences.
- A cross-sectional survey among 28 schools in Oslo, including questionnaire surveys among students and school administrators, objective anthropometric assessments and collection of physical activity data using accelerometers was successfully conducted despite some disruptions due to the covid-19 pandemic. This survey involved close collaboration between UiO, the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and Amsterdam UMC. Linked to this sub-project, a mapping of food and activity environments in all neighborhoods in Oslo, as well as in the neighborhood of specific participants, was conducted using ArcGis. So far, two articles have been published based on these data exploring neighborhood deprivation, built environment, and childhood obesity, as well as mediators of parental educational differences in the intake of carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
- In addition two reviews were published; one on mediators of socioeconomic difference in dietary behaviors and one on socio-economic position, the built environment and physical activity.
Financing
The Research Council of Norwegian - BEDRE HELSE program
Cooperation
- University of Bergen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Norwegian School of Sports Sciences
- University of California, Los Angeles
Start and finish
2018-2022