Table 1. Characteristics of participants in early life and young adulthood.
| Variables | Males | Females | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | N | |||
| Measurements in young adulthood | ||||
| Average IMT (mm)1 | 120 | 0.57 (0.06) | 145 | 0.55 (0.05) |
| Age at IMT measurement (yrs) | 120 | 23.3 (5.7) | 145 | 23.9 (5.1) |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 120 | 83.6 (8.3) | 145 | 75.3 (8.3) |
| BMI at IMT measurement (kg/m2) | 104 | 24.2 (3.3) | 142 | 23 (4.2) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 103 | 121.3 (10.7) | 140 | 110.5 (9.8) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 103 | 75.9 (9.4) | 140 | 72.8 (8.1) |
| Participation in sport (yes/no) 2 | 91 | 88 (96.7%) | 123 | 118 (96.0%) |
| Energy expenditure (kcal) 3 | 55 | 641 (263) | 68 | 363 (260) |
| Early life factors | ||||
| Maternal age at child birth (yrs) | 120 | 30.6 (4.2) | 142 | 30.3 (4.2) |
| Paternal age at child birth (yrs) | 119 | 33.3 (5.1) | 137 | 33.2 (5.0) |
| Pregnancy duration (wks) | 120 | 40 (40, 41) | 145 | 40 (39, 41) |
| Gestational weight gain (kg) | 117 | 12.9 (4.0) | 141 | 12.9 (3.6) |
| High gestational weight gain n (%)4 | 117 | 20 (17.1%) | 141 | 20 (14.2%) |
| Birthweight (g) | 120 | 3583 (443) | 145 | 3411 (437) |
| Birth weight < 3000 (g) | 5 (4.2%) | 28 (19.3%) | ||
| Birth weight ≥ 3000 to ≤ 4000 (g) | 93 (77.5%) | 104 (71.7%) | ||
| Birth weight > 4000 (g) | 22 (18.3%) | 13 (9%) | ||
| Birth weight by gestation age5 | 120 | 145 | ||
| SGA | 12 (10%) | 16 (11.0%) | ||
| AGA | 92 (76.7%) | 111 (76.6%) | ||
| LGA | 16 (13.3%) | 18 (12.4%) | ||
| Full breastfeeding | 104 | 130 | ||
| Never (0–2 weeks) | 29 (27.8%) | 37 (28.4%) | ||
| Short duration (3–17 weeks) | 40 (38.5%) | 49 (37.7%) | ||
| Long duration (˃17 weeks) | 35 (33.7%) | 44 (33.9%) | ||
| Additional potential confounders | ||||
| Birth year | 120 | 1989 (1985, 1992) | 145 | 1988 (1985, 1991) |
| Firstborn status (yes/no) | 104 | 58 (55.8%) | 129 | 74 (57.4%) |
| Maternal overweight (yes/no)6 | 116 | 38 (32.8%) | 141 | 41 (29.1%) |
| High paternal educational status (yes/no)7 | 119 | 70 (58.8%) | 136 | 73 (53.7%) |
| Smokers in the household (yes/no) | 106 | 37 (34.9%) | 134 | 55 (41.0%) |
Values are presented as means (SD) medians (IQR) or frequencies (percentage).
AGA: appropriate for gestational age, LGA: large for gestational age, SGA: small for gestational age.
AGA, LGA and SGA defined according to German sex-specific birth weight and length-for-gestational-age curves.
1Average IMT: mean of intima media thickness (IMT).
2Participation in organized or unorganized sport: (yes/no).
3Estimated energy expenditure during participation in organized or unorganized sport.
4High gestational weight gain: yes (>16kg), no (≤16kg).
5 Birth weight by gestation age
6Maternal overweight: yes (≥ 25kg), no (<25kg).
7High educational status: yes (≥12yrs of school attendance), no (<12yrs of school attendance).