Do parental risk factors for type 2 diabetes predict offspring risk of overweight and obesity? The Feel4Diabetes study

Objectives: The prevention of children being overweight/obese is of utmost importance. Parental characteristics play a pivotal role in shaping offspring weight status. This study aimed to examine associations between parental obesity and children's overweight/obesity status, and whether other parental type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk factors can predict children's obesity status. Methods: Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted, using cross-sectional data from a European cohort of 20 151 adults (10 967 mothers; 9184 fathers) and children (n = 10 967) participating in the Feel4Diabetes study. Anthropometric measurements were conducted in children, and overweight/obesity was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria. Parents’ T2D risk was assessed applying the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC). Results: After adjusting for all other FINDRISC variables, region and maternal/parental education, maternal (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.18–3.20) and parental (aOR: 3.21; 95% CI, 2.65–3.91) obesity, maternal (aOR: 1.46; 95% CI, 1.23–1.74) and parental (aOR: 1.59; 95% CI, 1.32–1.92) high waist circumference, as well as maternal (aOR: 1.60; 95% CI, 1.27–2.01) and parental (aOR: 1.87; 95% CI, 1.58–2.21) high FINDRISC score, were associated with child overweight/obesity status. Maternal (area under the curve– ROC: 0.638; 95% CI, 0.628–0.647) and paternal body mass index (BMI; area under the curve–ROC: 0.632; 95% CI, 0.622–0.642) were the most accurate in predicting child overweight/obesity status. Conclusions: Among parental risk factors for T2D, maternal/parental overweight/obesity status, central obesity, and high FINDRISC score were the main predictors of childhood overweight/obesity status, with BMI the most accurate. Maternal or paternal BMI is simple to use, and might be useful for the early identification of children at risk of being overweight/obese rather than other T2D factors. © 2022 Elsevier Inc