Overweight and Obesity in Adolescence and Childhood Family History

• In Event: 153 - Section on Children and Youth Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 08. Children's Physical Health

Abstract

As overweight and obesity become increasingly common among U.S. adolescents, looking further back in the life course offers clues about its roots. As a developmental process, weight status is dynamic and shaped by aspects of the family context that are known to be especially important for child wellbeing such as family instability and poverty. This study used data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD; n = 830) to predict overweight/obese status at age 15 with the timing of childhood family instability and poverty. Logistic regressions revealed youth who experienced family instability during middle childhood were significantly more likely to be overweight/obese in adolescence, as were youth who lived in persistent poverty throughout their childhoods. In addition to being a strong and consistent predictor of adolescent overweight/obesity, childhood poverty also explained some of the association between overweight/obesity and family instability. Results suggest adolescent overweight and obesity are influenced by family instability during the sensitive period of middle childhood, compared to an overall cumulative effect of childhood poverty. Furthermore, this study has policy implications for how childhood experiences among vulnerable populations can heighten the risk for overweight and obesity in adolescence.

Author

• Chelsea Smith, University of Texas at Austin