Parental weight status and household environment affect weight status of child.

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  • December 5, 2019
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  • Nelson, Kendra
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Nutrition
    • Other Affiliation: Nutrition Research Institute
Abstract
  • Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether and how a parents’ own weight and their lifestyle choices impact the weight of their children. Methods: Data were collected for 383 participants, 244 children (48.77% male, mean age 11.87 years) and one or both parents (24.82% male, mean age 41.38 years) and included demographics, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements and a questionnaire. Participants described factors related to their lifestyle and household environment including smoking status, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration. A food frequency questionnaire and a 24-hour diet recall were also completed by each participant. BMI-for-Age percentile (BfaP) was calculated for all children. Results: Parents who were overweight or obese were more likely to have children with higher weight status; the relationship between a mother and child’s weight status remains similar throughout the childhood (r=0.26, p<0.001), but a father’s weight status is more reflective of the weight status of older (r=0.46, p=0.015) rather than younger (r=0.25, p=0.096) children. Children were more likely to be overweight or obese if they lived in smoking households (non-smoking mean BfAP 57.29 (SE 2.57) vs. smoking BfAP 67.1 (SE4.91)). Fathers (r=0.09, p=0.521) and mothers (r=0.06, p=0.427) who spent more time on sedentary activities had children with higher BfAP. Children with parents who ate fast food more often were more likely to carry excess weight (r= 0.15, p=0.030 for mothers, r=0.10, p=0.374 for fathers). Children with fathers who slept fewer than eight hours per day were more likely to be overweight or obese (r=-0.21, p=0.049); a mother who engaged in very little or in large amounts of sleep was more likely to have offspring who were overweight or obese (p=0.013). Summary: Parental weight status predicts a child’s weight status. Parents making healthier lifestyle choices for themselves will likely impact their child’s weight in a desirable manner. Further research should be conducted to characterize to what degree similarities between parent and child weight is a function of genetic heritability, shared environment, overt parenting practices, or parental modeling.
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Advisor
  • Voruganti, Saroja
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Nutrition
    • Other Affiliation: Nutrition Research Institute
Degree
  • Master of Public Health
Graduation year
  • 2019
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