Background: Classroom engagement is key predictor of child academic success.Aim: The objective of... more Background: Classroom engagement is key predictor of child academic success.Aim: The objective of the study was to examine how preschool cognitive control and the experience of family adversity predict developmental trajectories of classroom engagement through elementary school.Setting: Children were followed in the context of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development from birth to age 10.5 (N = 1589).Methods: Working memory was directly assessed when children were 3 years old and mothers reported child impulsivity, parenting characteristics, stress and social support when children were 4 years old. Elementary school teachers rated classroom engagement from kindergarten through Grade 4.Results: Growth mixture modelling identified three distinct trajectories of classroom engagement. Child working memory and impulsivity, and maternal hostility, social support and stress predicted greater odds of belonging to the low versus high engagement trajectory. Child impulsivity and mat...
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, Jan 21, 2018
We examined pathways linking birth weight, weight gain from 0-2 years and adiposity during childh... more We examined pathways linking birth weight, weight gain from 0-2 years and adiposity during childhood with insulin sensitivity in early adolescence. Data stem from a longitudinal cohort of 630 Quebec Caucasian children with a parental history of obesity (QUALITY). In a sub-sample of children born at term (n=395), weight-for-length z-scores (zWFL) from 0-2 years were computed. At 8-10 years, % body fat was assessed using DXA. At 10-12 years, the Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and HOMA-IR were determined. A linear regression-based approach for mediation analysis was used to estimate distinct pathways linking zWFL from 0-2 years to insulin sensitivity. Every additional unit in zWFL at birth was associated with a 10% (95% CI: 5.26, 14.85) increase in Matsuda-ISI in early adolescence, independently of weight from 0-2 years and in childhood. An indirect effect of zWFL at birth on Matsuda-ISI was also observed, but in the opposite direction (-4.44, 95% CI: -7.91, -1.05); this relat...
To determine whether lifestyle habits and dietary factors at age 8-10 years predict the developme... more To determine whether lifestyle habits and dietary factors at age 8-10 years predict the development of metabolically unhealthy obesity 2 years later among children who were previously metabolically healthy obese. The QUebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth cohort comprises 630 youth with a parental history of obesity. Metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy obesity were defined using cut-offs for the components of pediatric metabolic syndrome. Dietary factors, physical activity, fitness, sedentary behavior, screen time, and sleep duration were measured. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine associations. At baseline, 48 participants with metabolically healthy obesity were identified; 2 years later, 19 became metabolically unhealthy obese and 29 remained metabolically healthy obese. Every additional daily portion of fruits and vegetables decreased the risk of converting to metabolically unhealthy obesity by 39% (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.9...
Medicine and science in sports and exercise, Jan 27, 2017
We investigated whether type of physical activity (PA) (sports, running, fitness/dance) engaged i... more We investigated whether type of physical activity (PA) (sports, running, fitness/dance) engaged in during adolescence is associated with body composition in late adolescence or early adulthood. Data were drawn from 631 participants in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study, a prospective investigation of students ages 12-13 years at inception. Self-report PA data were collected at baseline, in Grade 7, and every 3-4 months thereafter during the 5 years of high school (1999-2005). Anthropometric indicators (height, weight, waist circumference, triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness) were measured at ages 12, 16 and 24 years. Based on prior exploratory factor analysis, PA were categorized into one of three types (sports, running, fitness/dance). Regression models estimated the association between number of years participating in each PA type (0-5 years) during high school and body composition measures in later adolescence or early adulthood. In multivariable models accounting for ...
Journal of strength and conditioning research, Jan 27, 2017
During childhood, excessive weight is negatively associated with the development of motor skills,... more During childhood, excessive weight is negatively associated with the development of motor skills, with children with overweight or obesity having poorer motor skills compared to children with normal weight. The objectives of the current study are to identify the differences in motor skills between children and adolescent with obesity and severe obesity and the extent of this difference. To do so, we examined cross-sectionally 165 subjects. Physical fitness was analyzed in both participants with obesity (>97-99.9 BMI percentile) and severe obesity (>99.9 BMI percentile) using eight standardized tests: sit-and-reach, grip force, sit-ups, push-ups, balance, hand-eye coordination, standing long jump and 5-meter shuttle run. Poorer performance were observed in participants with severe obesity in sit-ups (children: 59%; 18.6±17.0 percentile value vs. 29.5±23.2 percentile value, p=0.008), balance (adolescent: 59%; 12.1±12.2 sec. v. 19.3±13.9 sec., p=0.034) and in the 5-meter shuttle ...
Background--Different pathways likely underlie the association between early weight gain and card... more Background--Different pathways likely underlie the association between early weight gain and cardiovascular disease risk. We examined whether birth weight for length relationship and weight gain up to 2 years of age are associated with lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP) in early adolescence and determined whether childhood adiposity mediates these associations.
Dental caries are highly prevalent among children and have negative health consequences. Their oc... more Dental caries are highly prevalent among children and have negative health consequences. Their occurrence may depend in part on school-based environmental or policy-related factors, but few researchers have explored this subject. This study aimed to identify oral health promoting school environment types and estimate their relation with 2-year dental caries incidence among Québec children aged 8-10 years. This study used data from two visits (completed in 2008 and 2011) of the QUALITY (Québec Adipose Lifestyle Investigation in Youth) cohort, which recruited white children at risk of obesity and their families from Greater Montreal schools. Measures included school and neighborhood characteristics, and Decayed, Missing, Filled-Surfaces index scores. Principal component and cluster analyses, and generalized estimating equations were conducted. Data were available for 330 children attending 200 schools. Based on a series of statistical analyses conducted in 2016, the authors identified three distinct school environment types. Type 1 and 2 schools had strong healthy eating programs, whereas Type 3 had weak programs. Type 1 schools had favorable neighborhood food environments, whereas Type 2 and 3 had unfavorable ones. Adjusting for potential confounders, children attending Type 1 and 2 schools had 21% (incidence rate ratio=0.79, 95% CI=0.68, 0.90) and 6% (incidence rate ratio=0.94, 95% CI=0.83, 1.07) lower 2-year incidence of dental caries, respectively, compared with Type 3 schools. School-based oral health promotion programs combined with a favorable neighborhood can lower dental caries incidence in school children.
Screens have become ubiquitous in modern society. Their use frequently underlies sedentary behavi... more Screens have become ubiquitous in modern society. Their use frequently underlies sedentary behaviour, a well-established determinant of obesity. As part of a family oriented clinic offering a 2-year lifestyle program for obese children and youth, we explored parents' experiences with a 24-h no screen-time challenge, an intervention designed to raise awareness of screen-time habits and to help families develop strategies to limit their use. In total, 15 parents representing 13 families participated. A focus group with nine parents and six phone interviews with those who could not join in person were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. Key elements to successful completion of the 24-h no screen-time challenge emerged, namely: clear rules about permitted activities during the 24-h period; togetherness, i.e. involving all family members in the challenge; and busyness, i.e. planning a full schedule in order to avoid idleness and preclude the te...
The objectives were to evaluate the impact of "Yes, I Quit" (a smoking cessation course tailored ... more The objectives were to evaluate the impact of "Yes, I Quit" (a smoking cessation course tailored for women in a low income, low education community), and to identify baseline predictors of short and longerterm self-reported cessation. The impact was evaluated in a before-after study design with no comparison group. Baseline data were collected in self-administered questionnaires at the beginning of the first session of the course. Follow-up data were collected in telephone interviews at one, three and six months after the designated Quit Day. Self-reported quit rates among 122 participants were 31.1%, 24.7% and 22.3% at one, three and six months. Non-quitters reduced their consumption by 10.3, 8.3, and 7.1 cigarettes per day at one, three and six months. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that being in excellent/good health was significantly associated with cessation at one month (odds ratio (OR) = 2.4). Being married (OR =13.0) and no other smokers in the household (OR = 3.6) were associated with three-month cessation. Only being married was associated with six-month cessation (OR = 6.8). "Yes, I Quit" produced quit rates among low income, low education participants comparable to those reported for cessation programs directed at the general population of smokers. Good health is associated with early cessation, while support from a spouse is important to maintaining a nonsmoking status among quitters.
Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Journal De L Academie Canadienne De Psychiatrie De L Enfant Et De L Adolescent, May 1, 2013
This study describes developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms in adolescents and examine... more This study describes developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms in adolescents and examines the association between trajectory group and mental health outcomes in young adulthood. Depressive symptoms were self-reported every three months from grade seven through grade 11 by 1293 adolescents in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study and followed in young adulthood (average age 20.4, SD=0.7, n=865). Semi-parametric growth modeling was used to identify sex-specific trajectories of depressive symptoms. THREE DISTINCT TRAJECTORY GROUPS WERE IDENTIFIED: 50% of boys and 29% of girls exhibited low, decreasing levels of depressive symptoms; 14% of boys and 28% of girls exhibited high and increasing levels; and 36% of boys and 43% of girls exhibited moderate levels with linear increase. Trajectory group was a statistically significant independent predictor of depression, stress, and self-rated mental health in young adulthood in boys and girls. Boys, but not girls, in the high trajectory group had a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of seeking psychiatric care. Substantial heterogeneity in changes in depressive symptoms over time was found. Because early depressive symptoms predict mental health problems in young adulthood, monitoring adolescents for depressive symptoms may help identify those most at risk and in need of intervention.
IMPORTANCE Despite extensive evidence showing that lifestyle habits play a critical role in preve... more IMPORTANCE Despite extensive evidence showing that lifestyle habits play a critical role in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in adults, little is known regarding the impact of lifestyle habits on type 2 diabetes risk in childhood.
This study applied socioecological and cumulative risk exposure frameworks to test the hypotheses... more This study applied socioecological and cumulative risk exposure frameworks to test the hypotheses that 1) the experience of poverty is associated with feeling less safe at school, and 2) feeling less safe is associated with engaging in poorer weight-related behaviors, as well as an increased probability of being overweight or obese. Data were from the ongoing Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, initiated in 1998 with a population-based cohort of 2,120 Québec (Canada) infants 5 months of age and their parent or primary caregiver. Measures of youths' (age, 13 years) self-reported feelings of safety, screen time, physical activity, and objectively assessed not overweight/obese (70%), overweight (22%), and obese (8%) weight status were collected in 2011. Family poverty trajectory from birth was assessed by using latent growth modeling. As hypothesized, exposure to poverty was associated with feeling less safe at school and, in turn, with an increased probability of being...
Background: Classroom engagement is key predictor of child academic success.Aim: The objective of... more Background: Classroom engagement is key predictor of child academic success.Aim: The objective of the study was to examine how preschool cognitive control and the experience of family adversity predict developmental trajectories of classroom engagement through elementary school.Setting: Children were followed in the context of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development from birth to age 10.5 (N = 1589).Methods: Working memory was directly assessed when children were 3 years old and mothers reported child impulsivity, parenting characteristics, stress and social support when children were 4 years old. Elementary school teachers rated classroom engagement from kindergarten through Grade 4.Results: Growth mixture modelling identified three distinct trajectories of classroom engagement. Child working memory and impulsivity, and maternal hostility, social support and stress predicted greater odds of belonging to the low versus high engagement trajectory. Child impulsivity and mat...
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, Jan 21, 2018
We examined pathways linking birth weight, weight gain from 0-2 years and adiposity during childh... more We examined pathways linking birth weight, weight gain from 0-2 years and adiposity during childhood with insulin sensitivity in early adolescence. Data stem from a longitudinal cohort of 630 Quebec Caucasian children with a parental history of obesity (QUALITY). In a sub-sample of children born at term (n=395), weight-for-length z-scores (zWFL) from 0-2 years were computed. At 8-10 years, % body fat was assessed using DXA. At 10-12 years, the Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and HOMA-IR were determined. A linear regression-based approach for mediation analysis was used to estimate distinct pathways linking zWFL from 0-2 years to insulin sensitivity. Every additional unit in zWFL at birth was associated with a 10% (95% CI: 5.26, 14.85) increase in Matsuda-ISI in early adolescence, independently of weight from 0-2 years and in childhood. An indirect effect of zWFL at birth on Matsuda-ISI was also observed, but in the opposite direction (-4.44, 95% CI: -7.91, -1.05); this relat...
To determine whether lifestyle habits and dietary factors at age 8-10 years predict the developme... more To determine whether lifestyle habits and dietary factors at age 8-10 years predict the development of metabolically unhealthy obesity 2 years later among children who were previously metabolically healthy obese. The QUebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth cohort comprises 630 youth with a parental history of obesity. Metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy obesity were defined using cut-offs for the components of pediatric metabolic syndrome. Dietary factors, physical activity, fitness, sedentary behavior, screen time, and sleep duration were measured. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine associations. At baseline, 48 participants with metabolically healthy obesity were identified; 2 years later, 19 became metabolically unhealthy obese and 29 remained metabolically healthy obese. Every additional daily portion of fruits and vegetables decreased the risk of converting to metabolically unhealthy obesity by 39% (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.9...
Medicine and science in sports and exercise, Jan 27, 2017
We investigated whether type of physical activity (PA) (sports, running, fitness/dance) engaged i... more We investigated whether type of physical activity (PA) (sports, running, fitness/dance) engaged in during adolescence is associated with body composition in late adolescence or early adulthood. Data were drawn from 631 participants in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study, a prospective investigation of students ages 12-13 years at inception. Self-report PA data were collected at baseline, in Grade 7, and every 3-4 months thereafter during the 5 years of high school (1999-2005). Anthropometric indicators (height, weight, waist circumference, triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness) were measured at ages 12, 16 and 24 years. Based on prior exploratory factor analysis, PA were categorized into one of three types (sports, running, fitness/dance). Regression models estimated the association between number of years participating in each PA type (0-5 years) during high school and body composition measures in later adolescence or early adulthood. In multivariable models accounting for ...
Journal of strength and conditioning research, Jan 27, 2017
During childhood, excessive weight is negatively associated with the development of motor skills,... more During childhood, excessive weight is negatively associated with the development of motor skills, with children with overweight or obesity having poorer motor skills compared to children with normal weight. The objectives of the current study are to identify the differences in motor skills between children and adolescent with obesity and severe obesity and the extent of this difference. To do so, we examined cross-sectionally 165 subjects. Physical fitness was analyzed in both participants with obesity (>97-99.9 BMI percentile) and severe obesity (>99.9 BMI percentile) using eight standardized tests: sit-and-reach, grip force, sit-ups, push-ups, balance, hand-eye coordination, standing long jump and 5-meter shuttle run. Poorer performance were observed in participants with severe obesity in sit-ups (children: 59%; 18.6±17.0 percentile value vs. 29.5±23.2 percentile value, p=0.008), balance (adolescent: 59%; 12.1±12.2 sec. v. 19.3±13.9 sec., p=0.034) and in the 5-meter shuttle ...
Background--Different pathways likely underlie the association between early weight gain and card... more Background--Different pathways likely underlie the association between early weight gain and cardiovascular disease risk. We examined whether birth weight for length relationship and weight gain up to 2 years of age are associated with lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP) in early adolescence and determined whether childhood adiposity mediates these associations.
Dental caries are highly prevalent among children and have negative health consequences. Their oc... more Dental caries are highly prevalent among children and have negative health consequences. Their occurrence may depend in part on school-based environmental or policy-related factors, but few researchers have explored this subject. This study aimed to identify oral health promoting school environment types and estimate their relation with 2-year dental caries incidence among Québec children aged 8-10 years. This study used data from two visits (completed in 2008 and 2011) of the QUALITY (Québec Adipose Lifestyle Investigation in Youth) cohort, which recruited white children at risk of obesity and their families from Greater Montreal schools. Measures included school and neighborhood characteristics, and Decayed, Missing, Filled-Surfaces index scores. Principal component and cluster analyses, and generalized estimating equations were conducted. Data were available for 330 children attending 200 schools. Based on a series of statistical analyses conducted in 2016, the authors identified three distinct school environment types. Type 1 and 2 schools had strong healthy eating programs, whereas Type 3 had weak programs. Type 1 schools had favorable neighborhood food environments, whereas Type 2 and 3 had unfavorable ones. Adjusting for potential confounders, children attending Type 1 and 2 schools had 21% (incidence rate ratio=0.79, 95% CI=0.68, 0.90) and 6% (incidence rate ratio=0.94, 95% CI=0.83, 1.07) lower 2-year incidence of dental caries, respectively, compared with Type 3 schools. School-based oral health promotion programs combined with a favorable neighborhood can lower dental caries incidence in school children.
Screens have become ubiquitous in modern society. Their use frequently underlies sedentary behavi... more Screens have become ubiquitous in modern society. Their use frequently underlies sedentary behaviour, a well-established determinant of obesity. As part of a family oriented clinic offering a 2-year lifestyle program for obese children and youth, we explored parents' experiences with a 24-h no screen-time challenge, an intervention designed to raise awareness of screen-time habits and to help families develop strategies to limit their use. In total, 15 parents representing 13 families participated. A focus group with nine parents and six phone interviews with those who could not join in person were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. Key elements to successful completion of the 24-h no screen-time challenge emerged, namely: clear rules about permitted activities during the 24-h period; togetherness, i.e. involving all family members in the challenge; and busyness, i.e. planning a full schedule in order to avoid idleness and preclude the te...
The objectives were to evaluate the impact of "Yes, I Quit" (a smoking cessation course tailored ... more The objectives were to evaluate the impact of "Yes, I Quit" (a smoking cessation course tailored for women in a low income, low education community), and to identify baseline predictors of short and longerterm self-reported cessation. The impact was evaluated in a before-after study design with no comparison group. Baseline data were collected in self-administered questionnaires at the beginning of the first session of the course. Follow-up data were collected in telephone interviews at one, three and six months after the designated Quit Day. Self-reported quit rates among 122 participants were 31.1%, 24.7% and 22.3% at one, three and six months. Non-quitters reduced their consumption by 10.3, 8.3, and 7.1 cigarettes per day at one, three and six months. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that being in excellent/good health was significantly associated with cessation at one month (odds ratio (OR) = 2.4). Being married (OR =13.0) and no other smokers in the household (OR = 3.6) were associated with three-month cessation. Only being married was associated with six-month cessation (OR = 6.8). "Yes, I Quit" produced quit rates among low income, low education participants comparable to those reported for cessation programs directed at the general population of smokers. Good health is associated with early cessation, while support from a spouse is important to maintaining a nonsmoking status among quitters.
Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Journal De L Academie Canadienne De Psychiatrie De L Enfant Et De L Adolescent, May 1, 2013
This study describes developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms in adolescents and examine... more This study describes developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms in adolescents and examines the association between trajectory group and mental health outcomes in young adulthood. Depressive symptoms were self-reported every three months from grade seven through grade 11 by 1293 adolescents in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study and followed in young adulthood (average age 20.4, SD=0.7, n=865). Semi-parametric growth modeling was used to identify sex-specific trajectories of depressive symptoms. THREE DISTINCT TRAJECTORY GROUPS WERE IDENTIFIED: 50% of boys and 29% of girls exhibited low, decreasing levels of depressive symptoms; 14% of boys and 28% of girls exhibited high and increasing levels; and 36% of boys and 43% of girls exhibited moderate levels with linear increase. Trajectory group was a statistically significant independent predictor of depression, stress, and self-rated mental health in young adulthood in boys and girls. Boys, but not girls, in the high trajectory group had a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of seeking psychiatric care. Substantial heterogeneity in changes in depressive symptoms over time was found. Because early depressive symptoms predict mental health problems in young adulthood, monitoring adolescents for depressive symptoms may help identify those most at risk and in need of intervention.
IMPORTANCE Despite extensive evidence showing that lifestyle habits play a critical role in preve... more IMPORTANCE Despite extensive evidence showing that lifestyle habits play a critical role in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in adults, little is known regarding the impact of lifestyle habits on type 2 diabetes risk in childhood.
This study applied socioecological and cumulative risk exposure frameworks to test the hypotheses... more This study applied socioecological and cumulative risk exposure frameworks to test the hypotheses that 1) the experience of poverty is associated with feeling less safe at school, and 2) feeling less safe is associated with engaging in poorer weight-related behaviors, as well as an increased probability of being overweight or obese. Data were from the ongoing Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, initiated in 1998 with a population-based cohort of 2,120 Québec (Canada) infants 5 months of age and their parent or primary caregiver. Measures of youths' (age, 13 years) self-reported feelings of safety, screen time, physical activity, and objectively assessed not overweight/obese (70%), overweight (22%), and obese (8%) weight status were collected in 2011. Family poverty trajectory from birth was assessed by using latent growth modeling. As hypothesized, exposure to poverty was associated with feeling less safe at school and, in turn, with an increased probability of being...
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