Table 2.
Univariate associations of possibly predictive variables with overweight
| Variables | Prevalence of overweight (%) | P value | Odds Ratio [OR] |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 13.77 (N = 18,032) | < 0.0001 | Female vs Male 1.31 (1.23–1.38) |
| Female | 17.25 (N = 17,402) | ||
| Age group | |||
| 5.0 – < 5.5 | 17.50 (N = 80) | 0.02 | Per unit increase in age group: 1.04 (1.00 – 1.08) |
| 5.5 – < 6.0 | 14.53 (N = 8,498) | ||
| 6.0 – < 6.5 | 15.77 (N = 16,977) | ||
| 6.5 – < 7.0 | 15.92 (N = 9,265) | Per unit increase in age: 1.12 (1.03 – 1.22) | |
| 7.0 – < 7.5 | 12.35 (N = 502) | ||
| 7.5 – < 8.0 | 18.75 (N = 112) | ||
| Nationality | |||
| German | 14.85 (N = 32,413) | < 0.0001 | Other than German vs German 1.68 (1.52 – 1.84) |
| Other than German | 22.61 (N = 2,733) | ||
| Study region | |||
| East | 14.34 (N = 23,998) | < 0.0001 | East vs West 0.77 (0.72–0.82) |
| West | 17.87 (N = 11,436) | ||
| Study location | |||
| Urban | 15.86 (N = 26,981) | 0.0004 | Urban vs Rural 1.13 (1.06–1.22) |
| Rural | 14.26 (N = 8,453) | ||
| Parental educational level | |||
| < 10 years of schooling | 19.43 (N = 3,902) | < 0.0001*** | Per unit increase in educational level 0.79 (0.75–0.82) |
| 10 years of schooling | 16.29 (N = 15,233) | 0.81 (0.74–0.88)* | |
| > 10 years of schooling | 13.13 (N = 14,849) | 0.63 (0.57–0.69)* | |
| Living space | |||
| <= 75 m2 | 16.74 (N = 17,213) | < 0.0001 | >75 m2 vs <= 75 m2 0.82 (0.77 – 0.87) |
| > 75 m2 | 14.13 (N = 16,882) | ||
| No. of persons in the child's living place | < 0.0001 *** | Per unit increase in no. of persons: 0.91 (0.88–0.94) | |
| Single child | |||
| No | 14.42 (N = 23,148) | < 0.0001 | Yes vs No: 1.26 (1.19 – 1.34) |
| Yes | 17.49 (N = 11,849) | ||
| Attendance of day nursery | |||
| No | 15.87 (N = 14,718) | 0.02 | Yes vs No: 0.93 (0.88 – 0.99) |
| Yes | 14.98 (N = 19,108) | ||
| Smoking in the living place | |||
| No | 14.14 (N = 18,266) | < 0.0001 | Yes vs No: 1.28 (1.21–1.36) |
| Yes | 17.45 (N = 14,942) | ||
| Passive smoking during the first three years of life | |||
| No | 14.74 (N = 11,084) | < 0.0001 | Yes vs No: 1.17 (1.10 – 1.25) |
| Yes | 16.84 (N = 23,609) | ||
| Smoking during pregnancy | |||
| No | 15.04 (N = 29,833) | < 0.0001 | Yes vs No: 1.26 (1.16 – 1.36) |
| Yes | 18.19 (N = 4,745) | ||
| Breastfeeding for more than three months | |||
| No | 15.79 (N = 22,634) | < 0.0001 | Yes vs No: 0.86 (0.81 – 0.92) |
| Yes | 13.94 (N = 10,472) | ||
| Preterm delivery | |||
| No | 15.63 (N = 32,313) | 0.01 | Yes vs No: 0.85 (0.75 – 0.96) |
| Yes | 13.56 (N = 2,227) | ||
| Birth weight | |||
| < 2500 g | 9.77 (N = 2,006) | < 0.0001*** | Per unit increase in birth weight category 1.31 (1.27 – 1.35) |
| 2500 – < 3000 g | 11.92 (N = 5,916) | 1.25 (1.06 – 1.48)** | |
| 3000 – < 3500 g | 14.12 (N = 13,340) | 1.52 (1.30 – 1.77)** | |
| 3500 – < 4000 g | 17.58 (N = 10,251) | 1.97 (1.69 – 2.30)** | |
| > 4000 g | 24.09 (N = 3,296) | 2.93 (2.48 – 3.47)** |
*compared to educational level I (< 10 years of schooling)
**compared to low birth weight (< 2500 g)
***Cochran-Armitage Trend Test