Size at birth, infant, early and later childhood growth and adult body composition: a prospective study in a stunted population

Background Pre-natal and post-natal growth are associated with adult body composition, but the relative importance of growth in different periods of childhood is still unclear, particularly in stunted populations. Methods We studied 358 women and 352 men measured as children in 1969–77 in four villages in Guatemala, and re-measured as adults in 2002–04 (mean age 32.7 years). We determined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and length at birth, and changes in BMI and length during infancy (0–1.0 year) and early (1.0–3.0 years) and later (3.0–7.0 years) childhood, with adult BMI (aBMI), percentage of body fat (aPBF), abdominal circumference (aAC) and fat-free mass (aFFM). Results Prevalence of stunting was high (64% at 3 years; HAZ< 2SD). Obesity (WHZ>2SD) prevalence in childhood was