title: Associations between parental and child overweight and obesity.
abstract: Results of the analysis showed that parents and children overweight/obesity were significantly correlated. The sample includes 318 pairs of mothers and children, and 336 pairs of fathers and children at the age 11.3 +/- 0.4 years in Trogir, Croatia. Child overweight and obesity were defined according to body mass index (BMI) 25 and 30 equivalents (kg/m2). The prevalence of total overweight in girls was 25.6% and among boys was 20.5%. Mother's weight (p = 0.003) and BMI (p = 0.006) were greater in obese than in other groups of children. Overweight/obese children were more often found among overweight/obese mothers (p = 0.009) and fathers (p = 0.039). Correlation between overweight/obese children and their father (odds ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.5-6.8) was stronger than between overweight/obese children and their mothers (odds ratio 2.2, 95% CI 1.2-3.9). Associations with mothers' and daughters' overweight/obesity were stronger (p = 0.017) than mothers' and sons'(p = 0.12). Correlations between children's BMI and fathers' BMI (r = 0.265, p < 0.0001) and between children's BMI and mothers' BMI (r = 0.173, p = 0.002) were significant. Children whose parents are overweight/obese look for greater attention in future preventive programme.
authors.affiliation: irena.bralic@si.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bralić
authors.forename: Javor
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vrdoljak
authors.forename: Vedran
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kovacić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence