title: Maternal depressive symptoms and physical activity in very low-income children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the contribution of maternal depression during late infancy to physical activity in children 5 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (n = 168) from very low-income households in semiurban Mexico were assessed as toddlers (15 months, Time 1) and at pre-school age (4-6 years, Time 2). Child low activity level (<20 minutes of activity daily for <7 d/wk) at Time 2 was the primary outcome measure and maternal depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale) by self-report at Time 1 was the primary independent variable. Covariates tested included child age, sex, BMI percentile, television viewing and behavior (Behavior Problem Index subscales), current maternal depressive symptoms, age, BMI and physical activity level, and family socioeconomic status; all covariates were assessed at Time 2 except for socioeconomic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 4 to 6 years old, 27.5% of children were categorized with low activity level. Exposure to high maternal depressive symptoms at child age 15 months was associated with an increased risk of having a low activity level at age 4 to 6 years (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.05-5.40); results were unchanged with the inclusion of current maternal depressive symptoms. High child TV viewing was significantly associated with low activity level (OR, 5.44; 95% CI, 2.06-14.3), but did not change the effect of maternal depressive symptoms in early childhood. Tests of mediation revealed that current child internalizing behavior, but not externalizing behavior, significantly attenuated the association between early high maternal depressive symptoms and later childhood activity level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to maternal depressive symptoms in late infancy is a risk factor for low activity level in later childhood and the association may be mediated by child internalizing factors.
authors: Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7360, USA. fernald@berkeley.edu
authors: Lia C H
authors: LC
authors: Fernald
authors: Jessica C
authors: JC
authors: Jones-Smith
authors: Emily J
authors: EJ
authors: Ozer
authors: Lynnette M
authors: LM
authors: Neufeld
authors: Ann M
authors: AM
authors: DiGirolamo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television