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Background Eating behaviors may contribute to differences in body weight and diet over time. Our study aims to examine how eating behaviors of young adults relate to their current weight status and dietary patterns and to explore longitudinal associations with eating behaviors in early childhood. Methods Study participants are young adults ( n  = 698) taking part in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. At age 22, eating behaviors were assessed using the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Dietary patterns were derived from information collected by food frequency questions. Weight status was based on self-reported data. Information on eating behaviors in childhood had been collected when participants were 2.5 to 6 years old. Pearson’s correlations were used to determine associations between adult eating behaviors and body mass index. Simple and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between eating behaviors and dietary patterns at age 22, and longitudinal associations with behaviors in early childhood. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between overeating and fussy eating in childhood and weight status at age 22. Results Body mass index was positively correlated with Emotional overeating, Enjoyment of food, and Food responsiveness and negatively correlated with Satiety responsiveness, Emotional undereating, Slowness in eating and Hunger. A Healthy dietary pattern was positively associated with both Enjoyment of food and Hunger, and negatively associated with Food fussiness. Inversely, a Beverage-rich dietary pattern was negatively associated with Enjoyment of food and positively associated with Food fussiness. A Protein-rich pattern was positively associated with Enjoyment of food, while a High energy density pattern was positively associated with Food fussiness. Young adults with higher scores for fussy eating in early childhood were more likely to manifest Food fussiness and Emotional undereating, and less likely to adopt a Healthy dietary pattern. Young adults with higher scores for overeating in early childhood were less likely to show traits such as Slowness in eating and more likely to be overweight. Conclusions Our findings suggest that eating behaviors in childhood have long-term influence on diet and weight status, thereby reinforcing the importance of early interventions that promote healthy eating.

To examine how food insecurity in childhood up to adolescence relates to eating habits and weight status in young adulthood. A longitudinal study design was used to derive trajectories of household food insecurity from age 4·5 to 13 years. Multivariable linear and logistical regression analyses were performed to model associations between being at high risk of food insecurity from age 4·5 to 13 years and both dietary and weight outcomes at age 22 years. A birth cohort study conducted in the Province of Quebec, Canada. In total, 698 young adults participating in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. After adjusting for sex, maternal education and immigrant status, household income and type of family, being at high risk (compared with low risk) of food insecurity in childhood up to adolescence was associated with consuming higher quantities of sugar-sweetened beverages ( : 0·64; 95 % CI (0·27, 1·00)), non-whole-grain cereal products ( : 0·32; 95 % CI (0·07, 0·56)) and processed meat ( : 0·14; 95 % CI (0·02, 0·25)), with skipping breakfast (OR : 1·97; 95 % CI (1·08, 3·53)), with eating meals prepared out of home (OR : 3·38; 95 % CI (1·52, 9·02)), with experiencing food insecurity (OR : 3·03; 95 % CI (1·91, 4·76)) and with being obese (OR : 2·01; 95 % CI (1·12, 3·64)), once reaching young adulthood. Growing up in families experiencing food insecurity may negatively influence eating habits and weight status later in life. Our findings reinforce the importance of public health policies and programmes tackling poverty and food insecurity, particularly for families with young children.

To examine the genetic and environmental influences on variances in weight, height, and BMI, from birth through 19 years of age, in boys and girls from three continents. Cross-sectional twin study. Data obtained from a total of 23 twin birth-cohorts from four countries: Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia. Participants were Monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) (same- and opposite-sex) twin pairs with data available for both height and weight at a given age, from birth through 19 years of age. Approximately 24,036 children were included in the analyses. Heritability for body weight, height, and BMI was low at birth (between 6.4 and 8.7% for boys, and between 4.8 and 7.9% for girls) but increased over time, accounting for close to half or more of the variance in body weight and BMI after 5 months of age in both sexes. Common environmental influences on all body measures were high at birth (between 74.1-85.9% in all measures for boys, and between 74.2 and 87.3% in all measures for girls) and markedly reduced over time. For body height, the effect of the common environment remained significant for a longer period during early childhood (up through 12 years of age). Sex-limitation of genetic and shared environmental effects was observed. Genetics appear to play an increasingly important role in explaining the variation in weight, height, and BMI from early childhood to late adolescence, particularly in boys. Common environmental factors exert their strongest and most independent influence specifically in pre-adolescent years and more significantly in girls. These findings emphasize the need to target family and social environmental interventions in early childhood years, especially for females. As gene-environment correlation and interaction is likely, it is also necessary to identify the genetic variants that may predispose individuals to obesity.

Good diet quality during pregnancy provides adequate nutrition to support both the mothers and the fetus. The objective of this study is to describe the distribution of diet quality during pregnancy and to study the association between social factors and diet quality during pregnancy in a Canadian population. This study was based on 1535 pregnant women who provided dietary information in the 3D Cohort Study in Quebec, Canada. A 3‐day food record was used to collect dietary intake in the second trimester of pregnancy. A Canadian adaption of the Healthy Eating Index (HEI‐C) 2010 was used to quantify diet quality. Univariate and multiple linear regression models were used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted effect estimates and confidence intervals for the association between social factors and HEI‐C. The mean HEI‐C 2010 score in this study was 62.9 (SD: 11.2). Only 4.5% and 8.3% of the pregnant women consumed the recommended amounts of whole grains and ‘greens and beans’, respectively. Diet quality was lower in some subgroups of pregnant women. After multivariable adjustment, lower diet quality was observed in participants who were less educated, younger, overweight or obese before pregnancy, or parous. There was an interaction between ethnicity and immigration status on diet quality in pregnancy. These findings could be useful for health practitioners and policymakers in developing strategies to improve the diet quality of pregnant women. Flow diagram for the study samples Key message The diet of the women in Canada still needs improvement, especially regarding whole grains and ‘greens and beans’, where the majority of the women did not meet the recommendations. Pregnant women who were less educated, younger, overweight or obese before pregnancy, or parous should be targeted for improving diet quality in Canada. There was an interaction between ethnicity and immigration status on diet quality during pregnancy.

Background Adolescence is a critical period for the development of eating disorders, but data is lacking on the heterogeneity of their evolution during that time-period. Group-based trajectories can be used to understand how eating disorders emerge and evolve over time. The aim of this study was to identify groups of individuals with distinct levels of eating disorder symptoms between 12 and 20 years and the onset of different types of symptoms. We also studied sex differences in the evolution and course of eating disorder symptoms from early adolescence to adulthood. Methods Using archival data from the QLSCD cohort, trajectories of eating disorder symptomatology were estimated from ages 12 to 20 years using semiparametric models. These trajectories included overall eating disorder symptomatology as measured by the SCOFF (Sick, Control, One Stone, Fat, Food), sex, and symptom-specific trajectories. Results Two groups of adolescents following distinct trajectories of eating disorder symptoms were identified. The first trajectory group included 30.9% of youth with sharply rising levels between 12 and 15 years, followed by high levels of symptoms between 15 and 20 years. The second trajectory group included 69.1% of youth with low and stable levels of symptoms between 12 and 20 years. Sex-specific models indicated that the proportion of girls in the high trajectory group was 1.3 times higher than the proportion of boys (42.8% girls vs. 32.3% boys). Trajectories of SCOFF items were similar for loss-of-control eating, feeling overweight, and attributing importance to food. The weight loss item had a different developmental pattern, increasing between 12 and 15 years and then decreasing between 17 and 20 years. Conclusions The largest increase in eating disorder symptoms in adolescence is between the ages of 12 and 15 . Yet, most prevention programs start after 15 years of age. Our findings suggest that, unlike common practices, eating disorder prevention programs should aim to start before puberty. Plain English summary Eating disorders, typically involving preoccupation with eating, excessive exercise, and body image issues, are particularly common in adolescence. However, their evolution over time remains unclear as certain signs and symptoms may appear sooner than others. The current study studied the development of eating disorder symptoms in a community cohort followed from birth to adulthood. This study describes trajectories of eating disorder symptoms and risk from age 12 to 20 in both boys and girls. Results showed that the largest increase in eating disorder symptoms occurs between 12 and 15 years of age, both in overall symptomatology as well as in specific symptoms such as loss-of-control when eating, feeling overweight, and attributing importance to food. Additionally, more girls than boys appeared at risk for eating disorders, although the patterns represented by the trajectories were similar in both sexes. Our results highlight the importance of starting early prevention programs before the beginning of adolescence, when symptoms usually start to manifest.

Objective Several studies have shown that maladaptive eating behaviors in childhood predict greater risk for eating disorders in adolescence. Whether or not maladaptive eating behaviors could represent developmental risk factors for a larger spectrum of psychopathologies is unknown. This study described longitudinal trajectories of overeating and picky eating behaviors in boys and girls from ages 2.5 to 6 years. We then examined whether these developmental trajectories in childhood are associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms during mid-adolescence (age 15). Methods 2 014 participants were recruited at birth as part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Mothers completed a measure of childhood eating behaviors at 29, 41, 44–56, 56–68 months, and 6 years old. Participants completed the Mental Health and Social Inadaptation Assessment for Adolescents at age 15. Latent class analyses and univariate regression analyses were conducted. Results The optimal model for overeating behaviors had three trajectory groups (early-onset overeating; 14.1%, late-onset overeating; 24.3%, and never-displayed overeating; 61.6%). Three stable trajectory groups were found for picky eating behaviors (high level; 7.1%, mid-level; 37.4%, low level; 55.5%). Higher overeating behaviors in childhood were associated with greater impulsivity, hyperactivity, and anxiety in adolescence in girls but not in boys. Trajectories of picky eating were not linked with mental-health symptoms in adolescence. Conclusions Overeating behaviors appear less stable over time than picky eating behaviors. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing psychological well-being and ADHD symptoms in children who overeat, particularly in girls, rather than focusing solely on healthy eating habits.

Background Food insecurity is a significant public health problem in North America and elsewhere. The prevalence of food insecurity varies by country of residence; within countries, it is strongly associated with household socioeconomic status, but the local environment may also play an important role. In this study, we analyzed secondary data from a population-based survey conducted in Québec, Canada, to determine if five local environmental factors: material and social deprivation, social cohesion, disorder, and living location were associated with changes in household food insecurity over a period of 6 years, while adjusting for household socioeconomic status (SES) and other factors. Methods Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, following same-aged children from 4–10 y of age, were analyzed using generalized estimating equations, to determine the longitudinal association between these environmental factors and food insecurity over a period of 6 years. Results Of the 2120 children originally included in the cohort, 1746 (82%) were included in the present analysis. The prevalence of food insecurity was 9.2% when children were 4 y of age (95% CI: 7.8 – 10.6%) but no significant changes were observed over time. On average over the 6 year period, three environmental factors were positively related to food insecurity: high social deprivation (OR 1.62, 95%CI: 1.16 – 2.26), low social cohesion (OR 1.45 95%CI: 1.10 – 1.92), and high disorder (OR 1.76, 95%CI: 1.37 – 2.27), while living location and material deprivation were not related to food insecurity. These associations were independent of household SES and other social variables. Conclusion These results highlight the potential role of the local social environment in preventing and ameliorating food insecurity at the household level. Stakeholders providing food security interventions at the community level should consider interactions with local social characteristics and perhaps changing the social environment itself. Further intervention research also examining interactions with household-level factors could lead to the development of interventions that increase both household and community-level food security.

The coexistence of undernutrition (thinness) and overnutrition (overweight/obesity) among children and adolescents is a public health concern in low-middle-income countries. Accurate prevalence estimates of thinness and overweight/obesity among children and adolescents are unavailable in many low-middle-income countries due to lack of data. Here we describe the prevalences and examine correlates of objectively measured weight status among urban and rural schoolchildren in Mozambique. A cross-sectional study design was applied to recruit 9-11-year-old schoolchildren (n = 683) from 17 urban and rural primary schools in Mozambique. Body mass index (BMI) was computed from objectively measured height and weight and participants' weight categories were determined using the World Health Organization cut-points. Actigraph GT3X + accelerometers were worn 24 hours per day for 7 days to assess movement behaviours. Multilevel multivariable modelling was conducted to estimate odds ratios and confidence intervals. Combined prevalence of overweight/obesity (11.4%) was significantly higher among urban participants compared to rural participants (5.7%; χ2 = 7.1; p = 0.008). Conversely, thinness was more prevalent among rural (6.3%) compared to urban (4.2%) participants. Passive school commute, not meeting daily moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) guidelines, and maternal BMI >25 kg/m2 were associated with overweight/obesity while possessing one or more functional cars at home, maternal BMI >25 kg/m2 and being an older participant were associated with thinness in the present sample. The proportion of total variance in the prevalences of obesity and/or thinness occurring at the school level was 8.7% and 8.3%, respectively. Prevalences of thinness, overweight/obesity and other key variables differ between urban and rural schoolchildren in Mozambique. MVPA, active transport and mother's BMI are important modifiable correlates of weight status among Mozambican schoolchildren. Results from this study demonstrate important differences between urban and rural schoolchildren that should not be ignored when designing interventions to manage malnutrition, formulating public health strategies, and interpreting findings.

Canadian penitentiaries have recently been shown to be obesogenic. However, little is known about the eating habits of inmates who gained weight while living in the prison environment. This retrospective cohort study examined the reported food intake of inmates during incarceration in federal penitentiaries. During a face to face interview, anthropometric measures (2016-2017) were taken and compared to anthropometric data at the beginning of incarceration (mean follow-up of 5.0 ± 8.3 years). Self-reported data on food intake were collected via a food frequency questionnaire. Inmates who gained the most weight (15.7 kg) during incarceration reported not eating vegetables. They were followed by inmates who gained 14.3 kg and reported not eating fruit. Other inmates who gained a significant amount of weight reported not eating cereal, dairy or legumes. Moreover, inmates' weight gain was also assessed by special diets: inmates following a religious diet (4.5 kg) or a diet of conscience (-0.3 kg) gained less weight than inmates not following a diet (5.8 kg). In comparison to other types of diets, inmates on a medical diet gained the most weight (7.5 kg). Furthermore, inmates who gained significant weight (8.0 kg) also reported not purchasing healthy foods from the commissary store (or \"canteen\"), whereas inmates who gained less weight (4.8 kg) reported purchasing healthy foods from the commissary store (or \"canteen\"). The observed weight gain was positively associated with food purchased from the commissary store (or \"canteen\"), but was not associated with the feeding system of the penitentiary (tray, cafeteria or meal plan). Food intake during incarceration is a modifiable risk factor that could be the target of weight management interventions with inmates. Our findings suggest that inmates who gained the most weight also reported having low intake of foods deemed healthy (vegetables, fruit, cereal, dairy and legumes) from food services and from the commissary store (or \"canteen\") purchases.

To determine the association between local environmental factors with child weight status in a longitudinal study, using a semi-parametric, group-based method, while also considering social and early life factors. Standardized, directly measured BMI from 4-10 y of age, and group-based trajectory modeling (PROC TRAJ) were used to estimate developmental trajectories of weight change in a Québec birth cohort (n = 1,566). Associations between the weight trajectories and living location, social cohesion, disorder, and material and social deprivation were estimated after controlling for social and early life factors. FOUR WEIGHT TRAJECTORY GROUPS WERE ESTIMATED: low-increasing (9.7%); low-medium, accelerating (36.2%); medium-high, increasing (43.0%); and high-stable (11.1%). In the low-increasing and medium-high trajectory groups, living in a semi-urban area was inversely related to weight, while living in a rural area was positively related to weight in the high-stable group. Disorder was inversely related to weight in the low-increasing group only. Other important risk factors for high-stable weight included obesity status of the mother, smoking during pregnancy, and overeating behaviors. In this study, associations between local environment factors and weight differed by trajectory group. Early life factors appear to play a more consistent role in weight status. Further work is needed to determine the influence of place on child weight.