Childhood Overweight and Obesity and Abnormal Birth Anthropometric Measures Are Associated With a Higher Prevalence of Childhood Asthma in Preschool Age

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of childhood overweight or obesity and birth anthropometric measures on the risk of developing childhood asthma.The study population included 5,215 children between the ages of 2 and 5 years and their matched mothers recruited from different regions of Greece between May 2016 and September 2020. Children with a history of any disease other than asthma or diabetes mellitus type 1 were excluded from the study.This was a cross-sectional, nationally representative study. in which questionnaires were completed by the participants’ mothers. Birth anthropometric data (weight, length, head circumference) was obtained from the gynecologist or birth hospital and childhood anthropometric data between 2 and 5 years of age (weight and length) was obtained by a trained nutritionist. The outcome variable was physician-diagnosed childhood asthma based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children questionnaire and parental report of medication use and healthcare utilization. The association between anthropometric measures and childhood asthma prevalence was examined while adjusting for confounding variables.Of the 5,215 children enrolled in the study, 4.5% developed asthma and 24.5% were classified as overweight or obese at 2 to 5 years of age. Overweight and obese BMI (hazard ratio [HR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39–2.11), abnormal birth weight (HR 1.87, 95% CI = 1.46–2.29), abnormal birth length (HR 1.29, 95% CI = 0.74–1.73), and abnormal birth head circumference (HR 1.23, 95% CI = 0.77–1.82) were all associated with increased odds of developing childhood asthma.This study identified that childhood overweight or obesity and abnormal birth anthropometric measures (low or high birth weight, birth length, birth head circumference) are associated with an increased risk of developing asthma by 2 to 5 years of age.Multiple factors contribute to the development of asthma, including exposure to modifiable environmental risk factors. This study identifies childhood overweight or obesity and birth anthropometric measures as risk factors of childhood asthma. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm that these are causal risk factors. Providers should consider discussing lifestyle intervention programs with children and their families to reduce childhood obesity and its long-term consequences.