title: Sex differences in adult outcomes by changes in weight status from adolescence to adulthood: results from Add Health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Changes in weight status from adolescence to adulthood may be associated with varying social, vocational, economic, and educational outcomes, which may differ by sex. We studied whether there are differences in adult outcomes by sex for different weight status changes in the transition to adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, participants were categorized by weight status from adolescence into adulthood. We examined self-reported outcomes in adulthood for living with parents, being married, being a parent, employment, receipt of public assistance, income, and college graduation by weight groupings (healthy-healthy, healthy-overweight/obese, overweight/obese-overweight/obese, overweight/obese-healthy). The effect of changes in weight status on the adult outcomes was modeled, controlling for sex, age, parental education, and race/ethnicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were differences by sex for many of the self-reported outcomes, especially educational and economic outcomes. Female subjects who became overweight/obese between adolescence and adulthood or remained so had worse economic and educational findings as adults compared to male subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, for female subjects, becoming and remaining overweight/obese was associated with worse outcomes, while for male subjects, adolescent obesity was more important than isolated adult obesity. The relationship between obesity and life situations may be more negative for female subjects in the transition to adulthood. The findings emphasize that adolescent obesity, and not just obesity isolated in adulthood, is important for characteristics achieved in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: arlene_chung@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Arlene E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Asheley Cockrell
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Maslow
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC; The Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Carolyn T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Eliana M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Perrin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescent obesity; adult outcomes; obesity/overweight; population-based studies; transition to adulthood; weight changes