Body mass index in young adults: Associations with parental body size and education in the CARDIA Study.
OBJECTIVE
Associations of parental education, parental body size, and offspring's education with body mass index and 7-year change in body mass index were examined among participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.


METHODS
CARDIA is a study of coronary artery disease risk factors in 5115 Black and White persons aged 18 to 30 at baseline. Analyses of covariance were carried out with body mass index and change in body mass index as the dependent variables, and with parental education, parental body size, and participant education as the major independent variables.


RESULTS
Father's body size was positively associated with participant's baseline body mass index among Black men, White men, and White women. Mother's body size was positively associated with baseline body mass index among all race-sex groups, and with change in body mass index among White women. Father's education was inversely associated with baseline body mass index among Black men and White women, and with change among White women.


CONCLUSIONS
Parental education may influence body mass index and changes in young adulthood, especially among White women. Such associations may be both genetic and environmental and may be important for obesity prevention efforts.
Greenlund
K J
KJ
Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Liu
K
K
Dyer
A R
AR
Kiefe
C I
CI
Burke
G L
GL
Yunis
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D044383:Black People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People