Abstracts Division 1
14. Weight changes in children with and without overweight and obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic
*Lisanne Arayess1,2,3, *Judith Lubrecht1,2,3, Dorien Reijnders2,3, Marijn
Hesselink3, Gabrielle ten Velde2,3, Christiana van Loo3,
Arieke Janse4, Ines von Rosenstiel5, Edgar van Mil6,
Marjoke Verweij7, Anita Vreugdenhil1,2,3.
1 Centre for Overweight Adolescent and Children’s Healthcare (COACH), Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
2 Centre School of Nutrition and Translational Research (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
3 Centre Department of Paediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4 Centre Department of Paediatrics, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Ede, The Netherlands
5 Centre Department of Paediatrics, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands
6 Centre Department of Paediatrics, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
7 Centre Department of Paediatrics, VieCuri Hospital, Venlo, The Netherlands
*These authors contributed equally to this work
Background
School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic affect children’s daily structure,
mealtimes, physical activity and sleeping habits, possibly exacerbating weight
gain, particularly in vulnerable children with overweight/obesity.
Objective
To determine perceived and objectively measured bodyweight change in Dutch children during
the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of a prior lifestyle intervention.
Methods
150 children of the Children, Obesity and Lifestyle during COVID-19 (COLC) study (cohort A)
reported perceptions of weight change. Anthropometric data of 66 children with
overweight/obesity was collected at the expertise Centre for Overweight
Adolescent and Children’s Healthcare (COACH; cohort B).
Results
In cohort A, 43% of children with overweight/obesity perceived weight gain during the
pandemic, compared to 15% of lean children. In cohort B, BMI z-score increased
by 0.065 within five months. Being enrolled in a lifestyle intervention for
more than one year and having parents with Dutch nationality was associated
with less weight gain, specifically in children with obesity.
Conclusion
Children with overweight/obesity are especially at risk for accelerated weight gain during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior long-term enrolment in a lifestyle intervention
lowered risk of weight gain, which emphasizes the importance of strong support
for vulnerable populations during health crises and pleads for wide
implementation of lifestyle interventions for children.
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