Abstract
BackgroundParent’s and child’s body mass index (BMI) are strongly associated, but their relationship varies by child’s sex and age. Parental BMI reflects, among other factors, parents’ behaviors and home environment, which influence their child’s behaviors and weight. This study examined the indirect effect of parent’s BMI on child’s BMI via child health behaviors, conditional on child’s sex and age.MethodsData from 2039 children and 1737 parents from eight cities of the U.S. involved in the Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project tested the association between parental BMI and child’s percentage of 95th BMI percentile (%BMIp95). A generalized structural equation modeling approach to path analysis was used to estimate and test simultaneously the associations among parental BMI and child’s health behaviors and BMI across three age groups (preschool 2-4 yr., elementary 5-10 yr., and middle school 11-12 yr). Child’s health behaviors were examined as mediators.ResultsParental BMI was related to %BMIp95 across all age groups, and was strongest in 11-12 yr. children. Parental BMI was positively associated with boys’ fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and girls’ sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. Compared to 2-4 yr., older children had less FVs and physical activity, more screen time and SSB, and higher %BMIp95. Mediation effects were not significant.ConclusionsParental BMI was associated with child’s %BMIp95 and some child behaviors, and this association was stronger in older children; older children also exhibited less healthy behaviors. Age- and sex-specific interventions that focus on age-related decreases in healthy behaviors and parental strategies for promoting healthy behaviors among at-risk children are needed to address this epidemic of childhood obesity.
Highlights
Parent’s and child’s body mass index (BMI) are strongly associated, but their relationship varies by child’s sex and age
Only 4% of adults reported being non-parent guardians, and 91.5% reported being the mother of the enrolled child (Table 1)
About 64% of parents had graduated high school, less than 50% were employed, and about 70% were living in households below the federal poverty level (FPL)
Summary
Parent’s and child’s body mass index (BMI) are strongly associated, but their relationship varies by child’s sex and age. The sharing of genetic and behavioral factors between parents and children results in a similar propensity for obesity status [10, 14], the association of parent and child BMI has been shown to vary by child’s sex and age. Both son’s and daughter’s BMI has been reported to be significantly related to father’s BMI, while daughter’s BMI was significantly related to mother’s BMI only [15]. Child age may moderate the association between parental BMI and child’s health behaviors and BMI
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