Table 4 Relative risks of overweight compared to normal weight at baseline (two years of age) according to meal parameters.

From: Meal size is a critical driver of weight gain in early childhood

MEAL PARAMETER

Model

Risk of overweighta(n = 1939)

OR (95% CI)

P value e

Meal size (10 kcals per eating occasion)

1 b

1.05 (1.02; 1.08)

<0.001

2 c

1.04 (1.01; 1.07)

0.006

3 d

1.06 (1.02; 1.09)

0.001

Meal frequency (meals per day)

1 b

0.95 (0.82; 1.11)

0.53

2 c

0.97 (0.83; 1.14)

0.72

3 d

1.13 (0.94; 1.36)

0.18

  1. Abbreviations: OR, Odds Ratio; CI, Confidence Interval.
  2. aWeight status at baseline (two years) was derived using weight standard deviation scores (SDS). Children were classified as overweight (n = 333) or normal weight (n = 1606) relative to the UK population mean in 1990, for the child’s age, sex, and gestational age39. Overweight was classified as weight SDS > 1.04 which equates to scores above the 85th percentile39, and normal weight (n = 1606) as SDS< = 1.04.
  3. bModel 1: Univariate complex samples logistic regression analyses tested the odds of being normal weight versus overweight for higher levels of each meal parameter. Models were unadjusted for covariates.
  4. cModel 2: Multivariate complex samples logistic regression analyses tested the odds of being normal weight versus overweight for higher levels of each meal parameter. Models were adjusted for sex, gestational age, birth weight, difference between age at diet diary completion and weight measurement.
  5. dModel 3: Multivariate complex samples logistic regression analyses tested the odds of being normal weight versus overweight for higher levels of each meal parameter. Models were adjusted for sex, gestational age, birth weight, difference between age at diet diary completion, weight measurement and mutually adjusted for each meal parameter.
  6. ep-values in bold represent those <0.01.
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