Family and Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Inequalities in Childhood Trajectories of BMI and Overweight: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Background:Socioeconomic inequalities in longitudinal patterning of childhood overweight could cause marked differentials in total burden by adulthood. This study aims to determine timing and strength of the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and children's body mass index (BMI) in the pre- and primary school years, and to examine socioeconomic differences in overweight trajectories across childhood.Methods:Participants were 4949 children from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. BMI was measured at four biennial waves starting at age 4-5 years in 2004. Developmental trajectories of childhood overweight were identified with latent class analyses. Composite variables of family and neighbourhood SES were used.Results:Socioeconomic differences in mean BMI z-scores already present at age 4-5 more than doubled by age 10-11 years, reflecting decreasing mean BMI among advantaged rather than increasing means among disadvantaged children. Latent class analysis identified children with 'stable normal weight' (68%), and with 'persistent' (15%), 'late-onset' (14%), and 'resolving' overweight (3%). Risks of persistent and late-onset childhood overweight were highest among low SES families (e.g. most disadvantaged quintile: ORpersistent= 2.51, 95%CI: 1.83-3.43), and only partly explained by birth weight and parental overweight. Relationships with neighbourhood SES were weaker and attenuated fully on adjustment for family SES. No socioeconomic gradient was observed for resolving overweight.Conclusions:Childhood has become the critical period when socioeconomic inequalities in overweight emerge and strengthen. Although targeting disadvantaged children with early overweight must be a top priority, the presence of childhood overweight even among less-disadvantaged families suggests only whole-society approaches will eliminate overweight-associated morbidity

Normal Pregnancy, Labor, and Delivery

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Changing trend of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China

Dearth of information regarding the trend and correlates of HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis C (HCV) in a country-wide sample of understudied though high-risk Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) called for a comprehensive serial cross-sectional study. Using a multistage mixed-method strategy, 171,311 MSM from 107 selected cities/counties in 30 provinces of mainland China, were interviewed and tested. Descriptive, bivariate, multivariate and Cochran-Armitage trend analyses were conducted using SAS 9.2. During 2009-13, recent (71.5% to 78.6%, p < 0.001) and consistent (40.4% to 48.8%, p < 0.001) condom use as well as condom use during commercial anal sex (46.5% to 55.0%, p < 0.001) were increasing. In contrast, commercial anal sex with male (11.9% to 7.1%, p < 0.001) and drug use (1.9% to 0.8%, p < 0.001) were decreasing over time. HIV prevalence increased gradually (5.5% to 7.3%, p < 0.001), while syphilis (9.0% to 6.3%, p < 0.001) and HCV prevalence (1.5% to 0.7%, p < 0.001) decreased over time. A positive correlation was observed between HIV and syphilis prevalence (r = 0.38). HIV infection was associated with HIV-related knowledge, services and injecting drug use. An increasing trend of HIV prevalence was observed during 2009–13 among MSM in China. While gradual reduction of risk behaviors along with syphilis and HCV prevalence supported expansion of testing and prevention services, increasing HIV burden called for deeper thematic investigations