Which healthy lifestyle habits mitigate the risk of obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors in Caucasian children exposed to in utero adverse gestational factors?

Background and aims This study explored if lifestyle habits [physical activity (PA), sleep duration, intake of fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy products] can moderate the positive associations between prenatal exposure to suboptimal gestational factors (SGF: i.e. gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, maternal smoking during pregnancy) and obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Methods and results Data from the “Quebec Adiposity and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth” (QUALITY) study collected between 2005 - 2008 in Montreal and Quebec City, were used. Analyses included a sample of 619 children aged 8–10 years. Children's PA and sleep duration were obtained using an accelerometer and daily servings of food were assessed using three 24 h diet recalls. Moderation analyses were performed to investigate if each lifestyle habit, in all children, and in boys and girls, could reduce the positive associations between SGF, and obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors.High LPA duration was protective against low levels of HDL cholesterol in boys who were exposed to more than one SGF (p = 0.005). Sleep duration did not have a protective effect respectively against high waist circumference and obesity in children and girls who were prenatally exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy. Diet and MVPA did not moderate the positive associations between SGF, obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Conclusion Among the three lifestyle habits, only LPA had a protective effect against low levels of HDL-cholesterol in boys. More studies are needed to confirm these results to inform future lifestyle intervention in this population.