Early childhood changes in BMI z-score and serum IGF-1 levels at age 6 years: the Japan environment and children study.
6 affiliations
- 1Fukushima Regional Centre for the Japan Environment and Children's Study, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
- 2Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
- 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
- 4Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
- 5Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
- 6Department of Perinatology and Pediatrics for Regional Medical Support, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
Abstract
Body mass index (BMI) is associated with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations in children, but longitudinal evidence regarding BMI changes during early childhood and IGF-1 concentrations at age 6 years remains limited. We examined associations between early childhood BMI z-score changes and serum IGF-1 concentrations at age 6 years in 2757 children from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. BMI z-scores were assessed at ages 2, 4, and 6 years, and serum IGF-1 was measured at age 6 years. Associations of overall BMI z-score change from ages 2 to 6 years and interval-specific changes from ages 2 to 4 and 4 to 6 years with IGF-1 were examined using multivariable linear regression. Longitudinal associations of repeated BMI z-scores with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. Overall BMI z-score change from ages 2 to 6 years was positively associated with IGF-1 (B = 18.14 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], 16.34-19.95; P < .001). When interval-specific changes were simultaneously modeled, changes from ages 2 to 4 years (B = 11.43; 95% CI, 8.82-14.15) and 4 to 6 years (B = 21.24; 95% CI, 18.94-23.54) were both associated with IGF-1 (both P < .001). Associations with TSH and FT4 were weaker and inconsistent, while the age-dependent association with 25(OH)D was attenuated after adjustment for season of blood collection. These findings suggest that changes in body size during early childhood are associated with variation in serum IGF-1 concentrations at school age.
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BibTeX
@article{nakatsu2026early,
title = {{Early childhood changes in BMI z-score and serum IGF-1 levels at age 6 years: the Japan environment and children study.}},
author = {Hideyuki Nakatsu and Koichi Hashimoto and Toshie Nishigori and Hisao Okabe and Yuka Ogata and Takahiro Nozaki and Takahiro Omoto and Hidekazu Kuraya and Seiji Yasumura and Hidekazu Nishigori and Keiya Fujimori and Mitsuaki Hosoya and Hayato Go},
journal = {Journal of the Endocrine Society},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1210/jendso/bvag240},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948657},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Early childhood changes in BMI z-score and serum IGF-1 levels at age 6 years: the Japan environment and children study.
AU - Hideyuki Nakatsu
AU - Koichi Hashimoto
AU - Toshie Nishigori
AU - Hisao Okabe
AU - Yuka Ogata
AU - Takahiro Nozaki
AU - Takahiro Omoto
AU - Hidekazu Kuraya
AU - Seiji Yasumura
AU - Hidekazu Nishigori
AU - Keiya Fujimori
AU - Mitsuaki Hosoya
AU - Hayato Go
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Journal of the Endocrine Society
DO - 10.1210/jendso/bvag240
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948657
AB - Body mass index (BMI) is associated with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations in children, but longitudinal evidence regarding BMI changes during early childhood and IGF-1 concentrations at age 6 years remains limited. We examined associations between early childhood BMI z-score changes and serum IGF-1 concentrations at age 6 years in 2757 children from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. BMI z-scores were assessed at ages 2, 4, and 6 years, and serum IGF-1 was measured at age 6 years. Associations of overall BMI z-score change from ages 2 to 6 years and interval-specific changes from ages 2 to 4 and 4 to 6 years with IGF-1 were examined using multivariable linear regression. Longitudinal associations of repeated BMI z-scores with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. Overall BMI z-score change from ages 2 to 6 years was positively associated with IGF-1 (B = 18.14 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], 16.34-19.95; P < .001). When interval-specific changes were simultaneously modeled, changes from ages 2 to 4 years (B = 11.43; 95% CI, 8.82-14.15) and 4 to 6 years (B = 21.24; 95% CI, 18.94-23.54) were both associated with IGF-1 (both P < .001). Associations with TSH and FT4 were weaker and inconsistent, while the age-dependent association with 25(OH)D was attenuated after adjustment for season of blood collection. These findings suggest that changes in body size during early childhood are associated with variation in serum IGF-1 concentrations at school age.
SN - 2472-1972
ER -