Timing of rapid weight gain and its effect on subsequent overweight or obesity in childhood: findings from a longitudinal birth cohort study

Table 1 The distribution of children’s and parents’ characteristics and the association with rapid weight gain

Variables	Total		Ever RWG		No RWG		χ²
Variables	n	%	n	%	n	%
Total	17,002	100.0	7509	44.2	9493	55.8
Sex							0.03
Boys	8948	52.6	3946	44.1	5002	55.9
Girls	8054	47.4	3563	44.2	4491	55.8
Birth weight							6.99	**
< 2500 g	1135	6.7	544	47.9	591	52.1
> =2500 g	15,867	93.3	6965	43.9	8902	56.1
Gestational age							81.41	***
Preterm	1379	8.1	730	52.9	649	47.1
37 weeks	2212	13.0	1083	49.0	1129	51.0
38 weeks	4532	26.7	1965	43.4	2567	56.6
> =39 weeks	8879	52.2	3731	42.0	5148	58.0
Singleton or multiple births							10.11	**
Singleton	16,539	97.3	7271	44.0	9268	56.0
Multiple	463	2.7	238	51.4	225	48.6
Delivery methods							3.85
Caesarean section	5622	33.1	2542	45.2	3080	54.8
Vaginal delivery	11,360	66.9	4956	43.6	6404	56.4
Maternal smoking during pregnancy							0.09
Yes	961	5.7	429	44.6	532	55.4
No	16,041	94.4	7080	44.1	8961	55.9
Breastfeeding until at least 12 months							19.81	***
Yes	2186	12.9	869	39.8	1317	60.3
No	14,816	87.1	6640	44.8	8176	55.2
Maternal nationality							8.15	**
Taiwanese	14,995	88.2	6683	44.6	8312	55.4
Others	2005	11.8	826	41.2	1179	58.8
Residential area							1.54
Rural township	4716	27.7	2107	44.7	2609	55.3
Urban township	7575	44.6	3306	43.6	4269	56.4
City	4711	27.7	2096	44.5	2615	55.5
Maternal education							8.82	*
< 9 years	2189	12.9	917	41.9	1272	58.1
9–14 years	6661	39.2	2910	43.7	3751	56.3
> =15 years	8126	47.9	3674	45.2	4452	54.8
Family monthly income (NTD^†)							3.49
< 30,000	1829	10.8	774	42.3	1055	57.7
30,000-49,999	5019	29.6	2204	43.9	2815	56.1
50,000-69,999	4481	26.4	2005	44.7	2476	55.3
> =70,000	5632	33.2	2505	44.5	3127	55.5

ISSN: 1471-2431