title: Factors associated with six-year weight change in young and middle-aged adults in the Young Finns Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine factors associated with weight change and obesity risk in young and middle-aged adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Young Finns Study with its 923 women and 792 men aged 24-39 years at baseline were followed for six years. Variables associated with the weight change were investigated with regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average weight change was 0.45 kg/year in women and 0.58 kg/year in men. In women, weight change was steady across all ages. In men, weight changes were more pronounced in younger age groups. In women (weight gain > 2 kg, n = 490), medication for anxiety, low occupational status, high baseline BMI (body mass index), high intake of sweet beverages, high childhood BMI, high salt (NaCl and/or KCl) use, low number of children, low childhood family income, high stature and low level of dependence (a temperament subscale) were associated with increased weight gain (in the order of importance). In men (weight gain > 2 kg, n = 455), high stature, high intake of french fries, low intake of sweet cookies, young age, recent divorce, low intake of cereals, high intake of milk, depressive symptoms, rural childhood origin, high baseline BMI and unemployment were associated with more pronounced weight gain. Sedentarity (screen-time) was associated with weight gain only in young men. Physical activity and genetic risk for high BMI (score of 31 known variants) were not consistently associated with weight change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socio-economic factors, temperamental and physical characteristics, and some dietary factors are related with weight change in young/middle-aged adults. The weight change occurring in adulthood is also determined by childhood factors, such as high BMI and low family income.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku , Turku , Finland.
authors.forename: Jari E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kaikkonen
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mikkilä
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juonala
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keltikangas-Järvinen
authors.forename: Mirka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hintsanen
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pulkki-Råback
authors.forename: Jorma S A
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Viikari
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kähönen
authors.forename: Terho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehtimäki
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Telama
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adiposity; adult; overweight; population; risk factors; weight gain; weight loss; young adult