Early-Life Home Environment and Obesity in a Mexican American Birth Cohort: The CHAMACOS Study

Abstract

Objective: Little is known about the impact of the home environment on biomarkers of obesity, such as adipokines, in children. In this study, we examined the relationship of maternal depressive symptoms and potentially protective social factors, including maternal support and the home learning environment, with BMI and adipokines. Methods: Data were obtained from 326 Mexican-American participants from the CHAMACOS cohort. Plasma adipokine levels were assessed in 326 children by enzyme-linked immunoassay at birth or ages 5, 9, or 14. Maternal depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale when children were 1, 3.5, 7, and 9 years old; social support was assessed by the Duke-UNC Questionnaire at ages 1 and 5; and home learning environment by the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (H.O.M.E.) at 6 months and 1, 2, 3.5, 7, 9, and 10.5 years of age. Results: Age was significantly associated with adiponectin (B=−5.0, standard error=0.2) and leptin (B=0.01, standard error=0.003) levels. Individual time point analyses identified significant positive associations of H.O.M.E. scores in childhood with adiponectin at ages 9 (H.O.M.E. score; age 3.5: B=0.9, p=0.04) and 14 (H.O.M.E. score; age 7: B=0.6, p=0.02, age 9: B=0.6, p=0.05, age 10.5: B=0.5, p=0.04). We observed significant relationships of maternal depressive symptoms at age 9 with adiponectin and BMI z-score at age 14 (B=−0.2, p=0.003 and B=0.02, p=0.002, resp.), which were confirmed in longitudinal models. Conclusions: This study adds new evidence that adverse and protective aspects of the home environment could lead to altered obesity status in children.

Associations between adverse home environments and appetite hormones, adipokines, and adiposity among Chilean adolescents

“…The negative associations seen between maternal depressive symptoms and adiponectin corroborate results from the CHAMACOS study, 16 which found negative associations which were strongest when comparing maternal depression when participants were young and adiponectin when they were older. In addition, maternal depression and family stress could impact the well-being of youth via mechanisms not currently considered.…”

“…Given the highly different leptin levels for males and females, we stratified the logistic regressions involving leptin by sex, and there is research to support that there are sex differences in the relation between adversity and leptin levels. 16 Since child age and BMI at the 16-year assessment were also associated with several of the appetite hormones, we adjusted for age and 16-year BMI in analyses involving the appetite hormones. BMI z scores were used using World Health Organization standards adjusted for age and sex.…”

“…sociodemographic factors, health status of family members, maternal depression, home learning environment) in childhood and adiponectin levels at ages 9 and 14 among Mexican-American youth with obesity. 16 Most studies have focused on an independent stressor or hormone. No study to our knowledge has comprehensively examined the associations between various forms of adversity and adipokines and appetite hormones, particularly across age, and specifically in children through adolescence, and these are current gaps in literature that this study hopes to address.…”