Maternal height and its relationship to offspring birth weight and adiposity in 6- to 10-year-old Maya children from poor neighborhoods in Merida, Yucatan.

Abstract

To analyze the relationship between maternal height, offspring birth weight, and adiposity at 6-10 years of age in a sample of 197 mother-child dyads from Merida, Mexico. During 2008-2009 and 2011-2013, measurements were taken of maternal height and weight; and height, waist circumference (WC), and skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac) of their children. Participant body composition was estimated using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. A questionnaire was applied to document household socioeconomic conditions. Multiple linear regression models were used to study the association between maternal height, offspring birth weight and fat mass index (FMI), WC, and sum of skinfolds (SumSkfZ) in boys and girls, separately. After adjusting for child age and household socioeconomic conditions, maternal height was identified to be significantly associated (p < .05) with FMI, WC, and SumSkf only in boys. In all models, child adiposity was inversely related to maternal height. Offspring birth weight was not associated with any adiposity parameter. The results suggest that maternal nutritional history as reflected in short maternal stature is associated with higher body fat in children, and that male offspring are more vulnerable to intergenerational influences.