Midlife health and socioeconomic consequences of persistent overweight across early adulthood: findings from a national survey of American adults (1986-2008).
The health consequences of obesity and overweight have been well documented, but less research has examined their social and economic consequences. This paper examines the long-term consequences of early adult overweight for midlife health and socioeconomic attainment using prospective nationally representative panel data from American adults in the Monitoring the Future Study (1986-2008). Growth mixture models identified 2 distinct latent classes of trajectories of body mass index (BMI) from age 19 to 35 years: a persistently overweight class (BMI >25 kg/m(2)) and a second class exhibiting more moderate growth in BMI to age 35 years. Women (odds ratio (OR) = 2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39, 3.36) and those from a lower childhood socioeconomic position (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.30, 2.24) were more likely to be in the persistently overweight class. Compared with those in the moderately increasing BMI class, those in the persistently overweight class were more likely to have a chronic health problem at age 40 years (OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 2.20, 3.43), to have no further education beyond high school (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.69), and to have a higher odds of receiving welfare or unemployment compensation at age 40 years (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.49, 2.04). These findings highlight the importance of addressing persistent obesity and overweight early in the life course.
Clarke
Philippa J
PJ
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USA. pjclarke@umich.edu
O'Malley
Patrick M
PM
Schulenberg
John E
JE
Johnston
Lloyd D
LD
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult