E Keane|Richard Layte|Janas M. Harrington|Patricia M. Kearney|Ivan J. Perry
Measured Parental Weight Status and Familial Socio-Economic Status Correlates with Childhood Overweight and Obesity at Age 9
University College Cork|Economic and Social Research Institute|University College Cork|University College Cork|University College Cork
parental obesity predominant risk factor childhood obesity family factors including socioeconomic status ses play role determining parent weight essential unpick shared family factors impact child weight study aims investigate association measured parent weight status familial socioeconomic factors risk childhood obesity age 9cross sectional analysis first wave 2008 growing ireland gui study gui nationally representative study 9yearold children n 8568 schools selected national total response rate 82 age eligible children response rate 57 invited participate children parents height weight measurements taken using standard methods data reweighted account sampling design childhood overweight obesity prevalence calculated using international obesity taskforce definitions multinomial logistic regression examined association parent weight status indicators ses child weight overall 25 children either overweight 193 obese 66 parental obesity significant predictor child obesity children normal weight parents 144 overweight obese whereas 462 children obese parents overweight obese maternal education household class consistently associated child higher body mass index category household income adjusted regression indicated female gender one parent family type lower maternal education lower household class heavier parent weight status significantly increased odds childhood obesityparental weight appears influential factor driving childhood obesity epidemic ireland independent predictor child obesity across ses groups due high prevalence obesity parents children population based interventions required