Examining risk associations with childhood health

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Examining maternal and early life risk associations with childhood health in a population-based cohort

• IRAS ID

  362386

• Contact name

  Nida Ziauddeen

• Contact email

  Nida.Ziauddeen@soton.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Southampton

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 11 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  A substantial body of evidence points to the early part of life being crucial in determining health in childhood and in later years. The concept of ‘fetal programming’ has emerged whereby a stimulus or insult during critical periods of development including preconception, pregnancy and early life can have permanent effects on structure, physiology and metabolic system of offspring. The 2019 Health and Social Care Select Committee report described the importance of the first 1000 days of life (from conception to 2 years of age) in shaping development. The report also highlighted that adversity during childhood could result in cycles of disadvantage through influence on future parenting behaviour.
  Childhood overweight and obesity has been identified as a serious public health challenge. In England in 2021/22, 22.9% of children aged 4-5 years and 37.8% aged 10-11 years were classified as overweight or obese. Children living in the most deprived areas in England were more than twice as likely to have obesity than children in the least deprived areas and this gap has increased over time. Overweight and obesity during childhood is associated with adverse health consequences in adulthood including diabetes and hypertension. Identifying risk factors, and managing these early in life improves longer-term outcomes for the child and wider society. The aim of this project is to use routine healthcare and administrative data to identify associations with maternal and early life risk factors at a regional level for the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.

• REC name

  South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  26/SW/0041

• Date of REC Opinion

  2 Apr 2026

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion