title: Cumulative social risk and obesity in early childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between cumulative social adversity and childhood obesity among preschool-aged children (N = 1605) in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal reports of intimate partner violence, food insecurity, housing insecurity, maternal depressive symptoms, maternal substance use, and father's incarceration were obtained when the child was 1 and 3 years of age. Two cumulative social risk scores were created by summing the 6 factors assessed at ages 1 and 3 years. Child height and weight were measured at 5 years of age. Logistic regression models stratified according to gender were used to estimate the association between cumulative social risk and obesity, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen percent of children were obese at age 5 years, and 57% had at least 1 social risk factor. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, girls experiencing high cumulative social risk (≥2 factors) at age 1 year only (odds ratio [OR]: 2.1 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.1]) or at 3 years only (OR: 2.2 [95% CI: 1.2-4.2]) were at increased odds of being obese compared with girls with no risk factors at either time point. Those experiencing high cumulative risk at age 1 and 3 years were not at statistically significant odds of being obese (OR: 1.9 [95% CI: 0.9-4.0]). No significant associations were noted among boys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There seems to be gender differences in the effects of cumulative social risk factors on the prevalence of obesity at 5 years of age. Understanding the social context of families could make for more effective preventive efforts to combat childhood obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. sfs2150@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Shakira F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Suglia
authors.forename: Cristiane S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Earle C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boynton-Jarrett
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States