Online Program

336107
Associations between parent's weight and adulthood BMI and body composition


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Angela Foo, BS/MS Nutrition Candidate, BS/MS Nutrition Program, CUNY School of Public Health, New York, NY
Khursheed Navder, PhD, RDN, FAND, BS/MS Nutrition Program, Hunter College, The City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Katarzyna Wyka, PhD, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York
Parental obesity is a known risk factor for childhood obesity, with maternal weight showing stronger effects than paternal weight. However, little is known whether these effects persist into adulthood and whether they affect offspring’s adult body composition indices as well. The objective of this study was to investigate the pattern of associations between concurrent maternal weight, paternal weight and their offspring’s adult BMI, Fat Mass (FM), Percent Body Fat (PBF) and risk for overweight/obesity. Data from 423 undergraduate students attending a major urban university was analyzed using linear and logistic regressions. Overall, significant positive associations were observed between mother’s weight and offspring’s BMI (r=0.21), PBF (r=0.17) and FM (r=0.13) (ps<.001). Likewise, father’s weight was significantly correlated with offspring’s BMI (r=0.14, PBF (r=0.10) and FM (r=0.13) (ps<.05). In females, this pattern of association was stronger for mother-daughter relationships (mother’s weight-daughter correlations: BMI r=.24, PBF r=.21, FM r=.211, ps<.001; father’s weight-daughter correlations: BMI r=.11, p=.07; PBF r=.14, p<.05; FM r=.13, p<.05). Among males, mother’s weight and father’s weight were significantly correlated with adulthood BMI only (r=.24, p<.05; r=.21, p=.08). Lastly, higher mother’s weight was associated with slightly increased risk of overweight/obesity in adulthood among females only (OR=1.01, p<.05). These results suggest that parents’ lifestyle practices around diet and nutrition have an effect on their offspring’s adult body composition and risk for overweight /obesity, particularly among females. 

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Assess the effect of parents' lifestyle practices around diet and nutrition(measured using maternal and paternal weight) on offspring's adult BMI, Fat Mass and Percent Body Fat.

Keyword(s): Obesity, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a BS/MS Nutrition Candidate at CUNY School of Public Health. My undergraduate and graduate studies in nutrition have enabled me to analyze data and write thorough reports on public health and nutrition topics. My studies often cause me to research links to obesity, which has increased my interest in the subject. Additionally, my experiences include working in efforts to prevent obesity during childhood.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.