Abstract
SummaryBackgroundParental obesity is a known determinant of childhood obesity. Previous research has shown a strong maternal influence on body mass index (BMI) during infancy and early childhood.ObjectivesThe purpose of this research was to investigate the BMI associations between mother and offspring from birth to age 18 years.MethodsParticipants were selected from the Fels Longitudinal Study. The current study sample includes 427 (215 mother/son and 212 mother/daughter) mother/child pairs. These pairs are repeatedly measured at multiple age groups in children, resulting in a total of 6,263 (3,215 mother/son, 3,048 mother/daughter) observations for data analysis. Inclusion criteria were children with measured height and weight for BMI collected at ages 0 to 18 years and their mother with BMI data. Maternal influences of BMI on offspring BMI from birth to early adulthood were analyzed by Spearman correlations and linear regression analyses.ResultsMother/son BMI correlations became statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) at age 5–6 years and were significant through puberty and into early adulthood at age 18 years. Mother/daughter correlations became significant at age 1.5 years and also continued through adolescence, puberty and early adulthood at age 18 years. Associations persisted after the study sample was grouped into life stages and adjusted for decade of birth and parity.ConclusionsThe mother/daughter relationship was more strongly correlated than the mother/son relationship and also became statistically significant at an earlier age than boys.
Highlights
Two out of three Americans adults and one in three children are classified as overweight or obese [1]
Ogden et al noted that while there has been no significant increase in the prevalence of the obesity epidemic in children or adults between the years 2003–2004 and 2011–2012, obesity rates are still high and remain a major public health concern [1]
The daughters body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated to maternal BMI beginning at age eight, and paternal BMI beginning at age four [14]
Summary
Two out of three Americans adults and one in three children are classified as overweight or obese [1]. Ogden et al noted that while there has been no significant increase in the prevalence of the obesity epidemic in children or adults between the years 2003–2004 and 2011–2012, obesity rates are still high and remain a major public health concern [1]. A study in 2003 by Magarey et al compared body mass index (BMI) in 155 children and their parents They found that as children aged, the prevalence of overweight/obesity increased and continued at age 20 years [14]. They found sons BMIs were significantly correlated to their maternal BMI at every age and to paternal BMI at every age except at 20 years. The daughters BMI was significantly correlated to maternal BMI beginning at age eight, and paternal BMI beginning at age four [14]
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