Additive influences of maternal and paternal body mass index on weight status trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood in the 1970 British Cohort Study

Authors

  • Silvia Costa University College London, Institute of Child Health http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7774-6711
  • William Johnson Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research Unit
  • Russell M Viner University College London, Institute of Child Health

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14301/llcs.v6i2.301

Keywords:

obesity, trajectories, tracking, life course, parental BMI, socioeconomic factors,

Abstract

This study aimed to (i) describe the weight status trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood and (ii) investigate the influence of maternal and paternal body mass index (BMI) on offspring’s trajectories in a nationally representative study in Great Britain.  The sample comprised 4174 (43%male) participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study with complete BMI data at ages 10, 26, 30, 34, and 42 years. Individuals’ weight status was categorised as overweight/obese or non-overweight/obese at each age, and trajectories of weight status from 10 to 42 years of age were assessed. Sex-stratified multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess associations of maternal and paternal BMI with trajectory group membership, adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., socioeconomic position and puberty). 30% of individuals were never overweight/obese (reference trajectory), 6%, 44% and 8% had childhood, early- and mid-adulthood onset of overweight/obesity (respectively), and 12% other trajectories. In fully adjusted models, higher maternal and paternal BMI significantly increased the risk of childhood (relative risk ratio: 1.2-1.3) and early adulthood onset (1.2) of overweight/obesity in both sexes. Relative risk ratios were generally higher for maternal than paternal BMI in females but similar in males. Early puberty also increased the risk of childhood (1.8-9.2) and early adulthood onset (3.7-4.7) of overweight/obesity. Results highlight the importance of primary prevention, as most individuals remained overweight/obese after onset. Maternal and paternal BMI had additive effects on offspring weight status trajectories across 32 years of the life course, suggesting that prevention/intervention programmes should focus on the whole family.

Author Biographies

Silvia Costa, University College London, Institute of Child Health

Research Associate

Institute of Child Health, UCL

William Johnson, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research Unit

Investigator Scientist

MRC Human Nutrition Research Unit

Russell M Viner, University College London, Institute of Child Health

Professor in Adolescent Health

Institute of Child Health, UCL

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Published

2015-03-07