Longitudinal examination of the family food environment and weight status among children

Objective: To examine whether aspects of the family food environment were associated with body mass index (BMI) z-score and weight status in children, cross-sectionally and prospectively over 3 years.

Methods: Four aspects of the family food environment (breakfast eating patterns, food consumption while watching television, parental provision of energy-dense foods and child consumption of energy-dense food at home and away from home) were assessed with a questionnaire completed by parents of 161 children aged 5–6 years and 132 children aged 10–12 years in Melbourne, Australia in 2002/03. In 2002/03 and 2006, children's BMI z-score and weight status (non-overweight or overweight) was calculated from measured height and weight.

Results: At baseline, 19% of younger and 21% of older children were overweight. Three years later, a greater proportion of younger (now aged 8–9 years) compared with older (aged 13–15 years) children were classified as overweight (28% versus 18%). Few of the family food environment variables were associated with children's BMI z-score and weight status cross-sectionally and longitudinally. However, among older children, more frequent dinner consumption while watching television was associated with a higher BMI z-score longitudinally (B=0.3, 95% CI=0.0, 0.6), less frequent breakfast consumption was associated with higher odds of overweight longitudinally (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.1–4.7), and more frequent fast food consumption at home was associated with higher odds of overweight cross-sectionally (OR=3.1, 95% CI=1.4–7.0).

Conclusions: This study found few significant associations between aspects of the family food environment and BMI z-score or weight status in a sample of Australian children.