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Modelling the impact of calorie‐reduction interventions on population prevalence and inequalities in childhood obesity in the Southampton Women’s Survey

Russell, SJ; Hope, S; Croker, H; Crozier, S; Packer, J; Inskip, H; Viner, RM; (2021) Modelling the impact of calorie‐reduction interventions on population prevalence and inequalities in childhood obesity in the Southampton Women’s Survey. Obesity Science & Practice , Article osp4.520. 10.1002/osp4.520. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

Background: In the United Kingdom, rates of childhood obesity are high and inequalities in obesity have widened in recent years. Children with obesity face heightened risks of living with obesity as adults and suffering from associated morbidities. Addressing population prevalence and inequalities in childhood obesity is a key priority for public health policymakers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Where randomized controlled trials are not possible, potential policy actions can be simulated using causal modeling techniques. Objectives: Using data from the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS), a cohort with high quality dietary and lifestyle data, the potential impact of policy-relevant calorie-reduction interventions on population prevalence and inequalities of childhood obesity was investigated. Methods: Predicted probabilities of obesity (using UK90 cut-offs) at age 6–7 years were estimated from logistic marginal structural models adjusting for observed calorie consumption at age 3 years (using food diaries) and confounding. A series of policy-relevant intervention scenarios were modeled to simulate reductions in energy intake (differing in effectiveness, the targeting mechanisms, and level of uptake). Results: At age 6–7 years, 8.3% of children were living with obesity, after accounting for observed energy intake and confounding. A universal intervention to lower median energy intake to the estimated average requirement (a 13% decrease), with an uptake of 75%, reduced obesity prevalence by 1% but relative and absolute inequalities remained broadly unchanged. Conclusions: Simulated interventions substantially reduced population prevalence of obesity, which may be useful in informing policymakers.

Type: Article
Title: Modelling the impact of calorie‐reduction interventions on population prevalence and inequalities in childhood obesity in the Southampton Women’s Survey
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1002/osp4.520
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/osp4.520
Language: English
Additional information: © 2021 The Authors. Obesity Science & Practice published by World Obesity and The Obesity Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: causal modeling, child and adolescent health, dietary interventions, health inequalities, obesity, Southampton Women's Survey
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10128111
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