GECKO - Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity

Study of the early determinants of childhood obesity. Cohort

Study of the early determinants of childhood obesity.

GECKO Drenthe is a population-based birth-cohort study of approximately 3,000 children born in Drenthe, one of the northern provinces of the Netherlands.

GECKO started in 2006 and aims to identify behavioural, social, environmental, and genetic risk factors for childhood obesity. In 2006, the Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity (GECKO) started studying the development of childhood overweight.

GECKO Drenthe aims to:

identify determinants of childhood obesity;
identify factors that contribute to the development of childhood obesity;
observe the role of parents in the development;
identify the role of genes and early programming in child health and growth;
observe the contribution of physical activity and nutrition to the development of obesity.

The GECKO Drenthe cohort follows children born in Drenthe between April 2006 and April 2007, which we call a birth cohort. No new children are needed for the studies. The children currently participating are followed from birth to adulthood.
Please visit the UMCG Research Data Catalogue for more detailed information on our data and samples.

During the pregnancy

Paternal and maternal data are collected regarding their reproductive and medical history, social structures, lifestyle, diet, and smoking behaviour before and during pregnancy. Clinical data regarding the pregnancy and delivery were collected from obstetricians, midwives, and general practitioners.

After birth

The child's birth is the start of collecting more information. The parents have to answer questionnaires about lifestyle, dietary behaviour, physical activity, biological factors, social factors, environmental influences, and illnesses.

Youth healthcare practitioners use anthropometry measurements to provide data regarding weight, height, head, hip and waist circumference, and blood pressure.

Additional measurements could involve urine samples, blood samples, GWAS, methylation analyses of cord blood, and physical activity measured with accelerometers.
Within GECKO, we work together with other organisations, such as:
- Drenthe Gezond
- LifeCycle Project
- PACE
- ABCD study
- My Little Moves
- Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health
- Praatplaten samen met Jong Leren Eten
- CHICOS
- NCD-RisC
Please visit GECKO Drenthe - Onderzoek naar overgewicht bij kinderen for more information about participation (in Dutch).
Publications GECKO Drenthe (PUBMED)

Relevance

How GECKO benefits to society

The GECKO Drenthe cohort has been designed to examine the behavioural, social, environmental, and genetic risk factors for childhood obesity. Our study is a population-based birth-cohort study of children born between April 2006 and April 2007. A total of 5,326 infants were born during this period. GECKO Drenthe includes a total of 2,842 children. They are being followed from birth to adulthood.