Temporal trends in birthweight and its association with overweight/obesity in schoolchildren from a Brazilian city: a cross-sectional panel study (2002–2019)

Authors

Keywords:

Infant, Low Birth Weight, High Birth Weight Infant, Child, Nutritional Status, Cross-Sectional Surveys, Birth Weight, Overweight, Obesity, Associated Factors, Cross-Sectional Panels, Temporal Trend

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Long-term metabolic complications in childhood are associated with birthweight.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine trends in the prevalence of low and high birthweight over a 16-year period and to investigate the association between birthweight and overweight/obesity among schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years.

DESIGN AND SETTING: The analyses included four school-based cross-sectional surveys conducted in Florianópolis.

METHODS: The probabilistic panels were conducted in 2002, 2007, 2012–2013, and 2018–2019. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between low and high birthweight and childhood overweight/obesity. Adjusted models included biological, socioeconomic, survey-period, and dietary-intake variables.

RESULTS: Over the 16-year period, low birthweight showed a progressive and statistically significant increase, rising by 58.3% from 2002 to 2018–2019. In contrast, the prevalence of high birthweight was 9.1% in 2002 and declined significantly over the ten-year period from 2002 to 2012–2013, decreasing by 40.7%. In the adjusted model, high birthweight was significantly associated with overweight/obesity across all study waves (OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.32–2).

CONCLUSION: A statistically significant upward trend in the prevalence of low birthweight was observed among schoolchildren in Florianópolis from 2002 to 2018–2019. Despite a reduction in high birthweight over time, high birthweight remained directly associated with overweight/obesity, independently of food intake and other confounding factors.

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Author Biographies

Camila Elizandra Rossi, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioste), Francisco Beltrão (PR), Brazil

PhD. Professor of the Undergraduate Course of Nutrition, Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS), Realeza (PR), Brazil. Permanent professor of the Postgraduate Program in Sciences Applied to Health, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioste), Francisco Beltrão (PR), Brazil.

Bernardo Paz Barboza, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy

PhD Student. Center for Public Health Research, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.

Patrícia de Fragas Hinnig, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília (DF), Brazil

PhD. Permanent Professor of the Postgraduate Program in Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis (SC), Brazil. Professor of the Department of Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília (DF), Brazil.

Francisco de Assis Guedes de Vasconcelos, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis (SC), Brazil

PhD. Permanent Professor of the Postgraduate Program in Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis (SC), Brazil.

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Published

2026-09-17

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1.
Rossi CE, Barboza BP, Hinnig P de F, Vasconcelos F de AG de. Temporal trends in birthweight and its association with overweight/obesity in schoolchildren from a Brazilian city: a cross-sectional panel study (2002–2019). Sao Paulo Med J [Internet]. 2026 Sep. 17 [cited 2026 Sep. 19];144(4):1-11. Available from: https://periodicosapm.emnuvens.com.br/spmj/article/view/3474

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Vol. 144 No. 4 (2026)

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Original Article

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Copyright (c) 2026 Camila Elizandra Rossi, Patrícia de Fragas Hinnig, Bernardo Paz Barboza, Francisco de Assis Guedes de Vasconcelos

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