Pediatrics International
Volume 53, Issue 6, 2011, Pages 826-831

Parental overweight/obesity, social factors, and child overweight/obesity at 7 years of age (Article)

Xu L. , Dubois L.* , Burnier D. , Girard M. , Prud'Homme D.
  • a Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
  • b Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
  • c Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
  • d Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
  • e Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada

Abstract

Background: This study used gender-based analyses to examine whether child overweight/obesity is related to parental overweight/obesity and sociodemographic factors, in a representative population-based cohort of 7-year-old children. Methods: Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development 1998-2010 was used. Children (n= 1336) were randomly selected from each public health region of Québec. The study was based on face-to-face interviews and a set of questionnaires addressed to mothers and fathers. Results: Compared to children with no overweight/obese parent, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of being overweight/obese with two overweight/obese parents was 5 for boys (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31-10.85) and 5.87 for girls (95%CI: 2.63-13.12). Gender differences appeared when one parent was overweight/obese. For girls, having either an overweight/obese mother (OR, 3.10; 95%CI: 1.14-8.38) or father (OR, 3.64; 95%CI: 1.68-7.91) significantly increased the odds of being overweight/obese at 7 years. For boys, however, having only an overweight/obese father (OR, 2.05; 95%CI: 1.01-4.16) was related to overweight/obesity, but having only an overweight/obese mother was not related to overweight/obesity at 7 years for boys. In girls, but not in boys, having an immigrant mother also significantly related to overweight/obesity (OR, 2.71; 95%CI: 1.28-5.75) at 7 years, after controlling for other social factors. Conclusions: Gender differences in socialization may explain why at 7 years of age, girls' bodyweight is influenced by having even one overweight/obese parent (mother or father), while boys' bodyweight appears to be influenced only by father's overweight/obesity when only one parent is overweight/obese. © 2011 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2011 Japan Pediatric Society.

Author Keywords

Childhood obesity father Gender Body mass index Mother

Index Keywords

Quebec human sex difference risk assessment Overweight social aspect priority journal obesity socialization Fathers Cross-Sectional Studies school child Humans parent male female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors Child, Preschool Mothers prevalence Article Questionnaires major clinical study gender Sex Distribution childhood disease age distribution Body Mass Index public health Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84255190907&doi=10.1111%2fj.1442-200X.2011.03374.x&partnerID=40&md5=f6241c8f6ebb7f6e5ebc6e486fc07059
DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-200X.2011.03374.x
ISSN: 13288067
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English