Figure 1.

Path diagrams showing relationships between birth weight for length z score, postnatal weight gain, adiposity at 8 to 10 years of age, and diastolic blood pressure (BP) at 10 to 12 years of age among 395 children from the QUALITY cohort. The β coefficients (standard errors) and P values are presented for diastolic BP. All associations are adjusted for child's age, sex, parental education, gestational age, breastfeeding, and in utero exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus, maternal hypertension, and maternal smoking. The direct effect of birth weight for length (not mediated by adiposity) on the outcome corresponds to coefficient (a). The direct effect of postnatal weight gain (not mediated by adiposity) on the outcome corresponds to coefficient (b). The indirect effect of birth weight for length on the outcome (mediated by postnatal growth and by adiposity) corresponds to (f×b)+(f×d×e)+(c×e). The indirect effect of postnatal weight gain on the outcome (mediated by adiposity) corresponds to (d×e).