Diabetogenic elevated childhood total fat in South Asian and Black African/Caribbean people relates to adverse early life growth and low socioeconomic position compared with White people in the UK
Authors' conclusion
Minority ethnic groups in the UK have poorer childhood growth than White children, achieving shorter height, greater fat mass and earlier female puberty. Mirroring of maternal and offspring ethnic subgroup gradients in height and weight indicates intergenerational transmission. Persistent adverse socioeconomic circumstances perpetuate ethnic adversity in early life accrual of body fat.
Study context
- Population
- UK births 2000–2002, Millennium Cohort Study; heights and weights measured at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, 14 and 17 years; fat mass by bioimpedance at ages 7–17 years
- Participants
- 12,280 / 358 / 650 / 268 / 163 / 277
- Comparison
- South Asian and Black African/Caribbean ethnic subgroups vs White children
- Whiten = 12,280reference
- Indiann = 358
- Pakistanin = 650
- Bangladeshin = 268
- Black Caribbeann = 163
- Black Africann = 277
- Primary endpoint
- Standardised fat-mass index (kg/m²)
- Follow-up
- Age 7 years
Methodological detailsprospective birth cohort, standardised differences vs White comparator, Confounders: maternal anthropometry, smoking, infant breastfeeding, education, parental income, area-level socioeconomic deprivation
- Prospective birth cohort
- Standardised differences vs White comparator
- Confounders: maternal anthropometry, smoking, infant breastfeeding, education, parental income, area-level socioeconomic deprivation
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Standardised fat-mass index (kg/m²), SDs greater than White children, boys/girls
- Indian vs White, boys/girls (SDs greater)
- 0.17/0.01
- Pakistani vs White, boys/girls (SDs greater)
- 0.21/0.04
- Bangladeshi vs White, boys/girls (SDs greater)
- 0.18/0.16
- Black Caribbean vs White, boys/girls (SDs greater)
- 0.48/0.35
- Black African vs White, boys/girls (SDs greater)
- 0.37/0.75
Further findings
Early growth
- All minority ethnic subgroups had lower birthweight and accelerated infant height and weight growth vs White children
- By age 3 years, mean height greater in all minority ethnic groups than White children; advantage progressively lost, first in Bangladeshi children
Height shorter than White children, boys/girls · age 17 years
- Indian (cm shorter)
- 1.77/2.48
- Pakistani (cm shorter)
- 2.24/3.44
- Bangladeshi (cm shorter)
- 4.83/5.95
- Black Caribbean (cm shorter)
- 1.64/0.49
- Heights equivalent in Black African children
Weight · age 17 years
- All South Asian children lighter, and Black African/Caribbean children heavier, than White children; gradient mirrored that in mothers
Menstruating by age 11 years
- Minority ethnic girls vs White girls
- range 12-27% vs 9%
Original publication
Diabetogenic elevated childhood total fat in South Asian and Black African/Caribbean people relates to adverse early life growth and low socioeconomic position compared with White people in the UK. Diabetologia. Published 27 June 2025. doi:10.
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