Methodological description and preliminary results of a cohort study on the influence of the first 1,000 days of life on the children’s future health

Abstract

The aim of this report is to describe general and methodological characteristics of a cohort study in southern Brazil (Coorte Brasil Sul), aimed at understanding the impact of the first 1,000 days of life on children’s health. It is a cohort study involving all children born in 2009 and their families living in the municipality of Palhoça, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Face-to-face interviews with parents at home using a structured questionnaire and children’s physical and clinical examinations at schools have been carried out. Cross-sectional analyzes, longitudinal comparisons and hierarquical regression analysis will allow understanding if the first 1,000 days of life can influence on 6-year-old children’s health. The Coorte Brasil Sul is in its retrospective phase together with the children’s physical data collection. Preliminary data (n=1270) related to nutritional status point to a high prevalence of overweight (16.4%) and obesity (15.5%). With the continuity of the study, it is expected to evaluate if the first phases of life can influence health during adolescence and in adult life, mainly in relation to chronic diseases.