Lifestyle patterns in European preschoolers: Associations with socio-demographic factors and body mass index

Background: Energy balance-related behaviours (EBRBs), that is, dietary intake, screen, outdoor play and sleep, tend to combine into 'lifestyle patterns', with potential synergistic influences on health. To date, studies addressing this theme mainly focused on school children and rarely accounted for sleep, with a cross-country perspective. Objectives: We aimed at comparing lifestyle patterns among preschool-aged children across Europe, their associations with socio-demographic factors and their links with body mass index (BMI). Methods: Harmonized data on 2-5-year-olds participating in nine European birth cohorts from the EU Child Cohort Network were used (EBRBs, socio-demographics and anthropometrics). Principal component analysis and multivariable linear and logistic regressions were performed. Results: The most consistent pattern identified across cohorts was defined by at least three of the following EBRBs: discretionary consumption, high screen time, low outdoor play time and low sleep duration. Consistently, children from low-income households and born to mothers with low education level had higher scores on this pattern compared to their socio-economically advantaged counterparts. Furthermore, it was associated with higher BMI z-scores in the Spanish and Italian cohorts (beta = 0.06, 95% CI = [0.02; 0.10], both studies). Conclusion: These findings may be valuable in informing early multi-behavioural interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities in health at a European scale.

Automated summary

This study compared lifestyle patterns among preschool-aged children in Europe and found that children from low-income households and born to mothers with low education level were more likely to have unhealthy lifestyle patterns, which were associated with higher BMI. These findings are valuable for informing early multi-behavioral interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities in health in Europe.