Do family characteristics explain a social gradient in overweight in early childhood?

Abstract

Background Children's overweight is associated with many factors, including their living situation, in particular their family's socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics. Research on the extent to which family characteristics account for a social gradient in overweight in early life is scarce. This study evaluated whether family characteristics explain SEP differences in the risk of overweight in early childhood. Methods The study used baseline data of 3-6 year-old children (n = 1,116) from the intervention ‘Ene mene fit’ conducted at kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data included overweight (body mass index > 90 percentile) and parents’ reports on their education and family characteristics associated with overweight (child consumes: sweets in front of TV, soft drinks; family joined time: outdoor, breakfast, sports; cooking; child sets table; role model). Model-based single mediation analyses decomposed the total effect of highest parental education on overweight into direct (unmediated) and indirect (mediated) effects (OR, 95% CI). Results Girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high/medium education. Among boys, low education influenced the risk of overweight via indirect effects of i. ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ (OR = 1.31, 1.05-1.59) and ii. ‘no joined sports’ (OR = 1.14, 1.00-1.44). The direct effect of low education only remained significant when ‘no joined sports’ was considered (OR = 2.19, 1.11-5.19). Among girls, family characteristics measured here did not explain SEP differences in overweight. Conclusions The family characteristics ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ and ‘no joined sports’ contribute to inequalities in overweight among boys, but not among girls. Therefore, more gender-sensitive research is needed to identify family risk and protective characteristics that explain health inequalities among both boys and girls.

Do maternal socioeconomic status influence child overweight?

“…Apart from the genetic impacts arising from the child's prenatal and early-life development, this study looks into a range of ecological environmental elements affecting children. These environmental elements incorporate micro-level household-related factors within the domains of parental [ 38 , 39 ] and community influence [ 24 ], all of which exhibit social gradients. Having said that, the family environment plays a pivotal role in shaping health behaviors related to childhood obesity, starting from the early stages of the child's life and until they attain adulthood [ 9 , 15 , 34 ].…”