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  • Review Article
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Age at adiposity rebound and the relevance for obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal of Obesity volume 46, pages 1413–1424 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objectives

To understand the sex difference in age at adiposity rebound (AR), integrate the prevalence of early AR (EAR), and provide a quantitative association between early age at AR and overweight/obesity.

Methods

Literature review was conducted in different databases, including the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Wiley, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and ScienceDirect databases up to August 2021. Studies that reported data related to AR were considered for inclusion. Pooled effect sizes and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random effects models, depending on the size of heterogeneity. Heterogeneity was tested by using the I2 statistics.

Results

28 studies with a combined sample size of 106,397 people were included in the final meta-analysis. Girls had a significantly earlier age of AR than boys (mean difference = 3.38 months; 95% CI 2.14–4.63). The overall prevalence of EAR was 40% (95% CI 31% to 50%), and the prevalence in girls was 5% higher than that in boys based on the definition of age at AR < 5.0–5.1 years. The overall pooled prevalence of EAR showed an increasing trend by child’s birth year [1934–1973]: 29% (95% CI 22% to 37%), 1991–2001: 35% (95% CI 26% to 44%), and 2002–2009: 52% (95% CI 40–63%). Early age at AR (age at AR < 5.0–5.1 years) was associated with a significantly increased risk of overweight/obesity (OR = 5.07; 95% CI 3.60–7.12), overweight (OR = 3.10; 95% CI 1.69–5.70), and obesity (OR = 6.97; 95% CI 4.32–11.26) from the preschool period to adulthood.

Conclusions

The overall prevalence of EAR is increasing, and girls experience AR earlier than boys. The early age at AR in children may be an early and effective marker of obesity.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81872630), Sci-tech Basic Resources Research Program of China (2017FY101107), and The University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province (GXXT-2020-067).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, China

    Jixing Zhou, Fu Zhang, Xiaoyun Qin, Peixuan Li, Yuzhu Teng, Shanshan Zhang, Fangbiao Tao & Kun Huang

  2. Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China

    Jixing Zhou, Fu Zhang, Xiaoyun Qin, Peixuan Li, Yuzhu Teng, Shanshan Zhang, Fangbiao Tao & Kun Huang

  3. NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract, Hefei, 230032, China

    Jixing Zhou, Fu Zhang, Xiaoyun Qin, Peixuan Li, Yuzhu Teng, Shanshan Zhang, Fangbiao Tao & Kun Huang

  4. Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China

    Jixing Zhou, Fu Zhang, Xiaoyun Qin, Peixuan Li, Yuzhu Teng, Shanshan Zhang, Fangbiao Tao & Kun Huang

  5. Scientific Research Center in Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, China

    Kun Huang

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Contributions

All authors conceived and designed the study. JXZ, FZ, and XYQ were responsible for data collection. JXZ and PXL analysed the data. JXZ and KH drafted the manuscript. YZT, SSZ, FBT, and KH provided feedback on the report. All authors revised the manuscript, contributed to the intellectual content and approved the final version.

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Correspondence to Kun Huang.

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Supplementary information

41366_2022_1120_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Summary of pooled odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs) in the meta-analysis of the association between EAR and later overweight/obesity

Quality assessment of prevalence studies included in the meta-analysis following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool

41366_2022_1120_MOESM3_ESM.tif

Forest plot of studies assessing the mean difference in age (months) at AR between boys and girls stratified by birth year

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Zhou, J., Zhang, F., Qin, X. et al. Age at adiposity rebound and the relevance for obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Obes 46, 1413–1424 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01120-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01120-4

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