Abstract
BackgroundFew studies have examined the relations of adiposity and lifestyle factors in young offspring with their parents as children (parentschild) or at their current age (parentsadult). Therefore, we compared measures of adiposity and lifestyle in parentschild and parentsadult with their offspring.MethodsTwo generations (one parent and his/her offspring) participated in this study: 234 parents from a previously established cohort and 382 offspring. Parentsadult and offspring underwent measurements for height, weight, waist circumference, % body fat, visceral fat, and lifestyle habits. Participants were classified as normal weight, overweight, obese based on age-specific BMI criteria. Mixed model linear regression analysis evaluated the associations of adiposity and lifestyle factors of parentschild and parentsadult with that of their offspring, adjusting for age, sex, race, and family membership.ResultsThe prevalence of obesity was greater among offspring mean age 12.3 years compared to their parentschild mean age 12.6 years (18.4% vs 10.1%, p<0.001) even though hours of television (TV) watching were similar between the two generations as children (p=0.80). Sixty percent of parents (as children and adults) and offspring reported more than 2 hours of TV/day. Offspring of parents who were overweight and obese as children had greater BMI (all p<0.001) than offspring of parents who were normal weight as children. For both parentadult and offspring, adiposity was greater with greater total screen time.ConclusionsIdentifying high-risk families is important for early intervention of overweight, especially in children.
Highlights
Few studies have examined the relations of adiposity and lifestyle factors in young offspring with their parents as children or at their current age
The present study was conducted in a cohort of parents (N=234) who had participated in a longitudinal study, beginning at age 6–9 years [15] and continuing to age 39 [16], and their offspring (N=382) >6 years of age
Mean total screen time and sessions of moderate and vigorous physical activity were higher among offspring compared to their parentsadult, but there was a significant correlation between parents and their offspring for hours spent in sedentary activity, including TV watching, computer and video game time, and total screen time, but not for physical activity
Summary
Few studies have examined the relations of adiposity and lifestyle factors in young offspring with their parents as children (parentschild) or at their current age (parentsadult). Mixed model linear regression analysis evaluated the associations of adiposity and lifestyle factors of parentschild and parentsadult with that of their offspring, adjusting for age, sex, race, and family membership. It is well-known that obesity is related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes [1]. Children of obese parents have greater susceptibility for the development of CVD and diabetes than children of normal weight parents [4,5,6]. Little is known about the relation of TV time or total screen time with specific measures of adiposity, including VAT and SAT, among families
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
