title: Parental weight status and offspring cardiovascular disease risks: a cross-sectional study of Chinese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevalence of childhood obesity in China is increasing, and parental weight is a risk factor for the development of obesity in children. We examined the relationship of parental body weight status with risk of offspring cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study in Wuhan, China, during May and June 2010. Parental body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to self-reported height and weight. Offspring CVD risk factors, including BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and metabolic risk score (MRS), were assessed through anthropometric measures, blood samples, and a CRF test. Multiple linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to examine the effects of maternal and paternal weight status on offspring CVD risks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 580 Chinese children (339 boys and 241 girls, mean [standard deviation] age, 9.6 [0.7] years) participated in the study. Maternal BMI was significantly associated with offspring elevated BMI (β = 0.134, P = .002), waist circumference (β = 0.253, P = .04), and decreased CRF (β = -0.134, P = .01). Paternal BMI was significantly associated with elevated offspring BMI (β = 0.161, P < .001), waist circumference (β = 0.404, P < .001), triglycerides (β = 0.017, P = .03), MRS (β = 0.084, P = .03), and decreased CRF (β = -0.174, P < .001). BMI (P < .001), waist circumference (P < .001), and MRS (P < .05) were positively associated with additional overweight/obese parents, whereas CRF was negatively associated (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental weight status was significantly associated with increased risk of CVD in their children, and the association was stronger for paternal weight status.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China and University of Hawaii Office of Public Health Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: Kayne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yong-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health/Global Health Institute, Wuhan University, Donghu Rd, No. 185, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430071, P.R. China. E-mail: heqiqiang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Qi-qiang
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors