Do preventive child examinations in general practice reduce the risk of overweight and obesity?

Abstract Objective: This study aims to investigate the association between attendance at routine preventive child health examinations in general practice and the risk of overweight and obesity in Danish children at age six, with a specific focus on children of parents with psychosocial risk factors. Methods: Utilizing nationwide Danish registers, a population-based birth cohort of 725 926 children born between 2000-2012 was analyzed. Information on preventive health examination attendance and BMI data were obtained. Statistical analyses, including modified Poisson regression, were conducted to assess the relationship between examination attendance and overweight/obesity risk. Results: The study found no significant association between attending these examinations and a reduced risk of overweight at age six in the overall population. In the subgroup of children of parents having 10 years of education of less, non-attendance was associated with a slightly increased risk of overweight, ranging from eight to nine percent. Regarding obesity risk, a dose-response correlation was observed, indicating that missing examinations increased the risk of obesity. Children of parents with psychosocial risk factors, particularly those with parents of low educational attainment, faced increased obesity risks, with the highest risk observed in children of parents with 10 years of education or less who missed all examinations, showing a four- to five-fold increase compared to children of parents with 14 years of the education or more attending all or missing only one exam (reference). Conclusion: Although routine preventive child health examinations may not directly reduce the risk of overweight, they could potentially mitigate obesity risk, especially in vulnerable populations. Further research is warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms and to develop targeted interventions to address health disparities in childhood obesity.