Table 1. Perinatal characteristics and characteristics at study visit in former term and preterm infants.
| Characteristic | Term group (n = 89) | Preterm group (n = 93) |
|---|---|---|
| Gender, male/female [%] | 47.2/52.8 | 52.7/47.3 |
| Perinatal characteristics | ||
| Gestational age, mean (SD) [weeks] | 39.7 (1.2) | 29.3 (2.2)a |
| Birth weight, mean (SD) [grams] | 3328 (400) | 1209 (397)a |
| Birth weight z-score, mean (SD) | -0.226 (0.831) | -0.214 (0.923) |
| Small for gestational age at birth [n;%] | 6;6.7 | 11;11.8 |
| Smoking during pregnancy, unknown/yes/no [%] | 18.0/10.1/71.9 | 0.0/25.8/74.2b |
| Maternal educational status, unknown/<12 years/≥12 years [%] | 15.7/39.3/44.9 | 1.1/55.9/43.0 |
| Mainly (>50%) breastfed, unknown/yes/no [%] | 4.5/65.2/30.3 | 1.1/79.6/19.4 |
| Characteristics at study visit | ||
| Age at examination, mean (SD) [years] | 5.7 (0.5) | 5.4 (0.3)a |
| Current BMI, median (IQR) [kg/m2] | 14.9 (1.5) | 14.1 (1.3)a |
| Current BMI z-score, mean (SD) | -0.178 (0.837) | -0.923 (1.263)a |
| Positive family history of CVD, unknown/yes/no [%] | 13.5/5.6/80.9 | 2.2/14.0/83.9 |
| Childhood nutrition profile, unknown/neutral/favorable [%] | 6.7/36.0/57.3 | 9.7/50.5/39.8c† |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); CVD, cardiovascular disease (positive family history of CVD defined as diagnosis of coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack, congenital heart disease or stroke in first-degree male relative of child and/or parent under the age of 55 or first-degree female relative of child and/or parent under the age of 65); IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.
a p<0.001, term versus preterm group.
b p<0.05, term versus preterm group (yes/no).
c p<0.05, term versus preterm group (neutral/favorable).
† Unfavorable childhood nutrition habits were not reported in either study group.