title: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity: Growth Trajectories in Body Mass Index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study are to describe growth trajectories in the body mass index (BMI) among the major racial and ethnic groups of US children and to identify predictors of children's BMI trajectories.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) was used to identify predictors of BMI growth trajectories, including child characteristics, maternal attributes, home practices related to diet and social behaviors, and family sociodemographic factors. Growth models, spanning 48 to 72 months of age, were estimated with hierarchical linear modeling via STATA/Xtmixed methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately one-third of 4-year-old females and males were overweight and/or obese. African-American and Latino children displayed higher predicted mean BMI scores and differing mean BMI trajectories, compared with White children, adjusting for time-independent and time-dependent predictors. Several factors were significantly associated with lower mean BMI trajectories, including very low birth weight, higher maternal education level, residing in a two-parent household, and breastfeeding during infancy. Greater consumption of soda and fast food was associated with higher mean BMI growth. Soda consumption was a particularly strong predictor of mean BMI growth trajectory for young Black children. Neither the child's inactivity linked to television viewing nor fruit nor vegetable consumption was predictive of BMI growth for any racial/ethnic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant racial and ethnic differences are discernible in BMI trajectories among young children. Raising parents' and health practitioners' awareness of how fast food and sweetened-beverage consumption contributes to early obesity and growth in BMI-especially for Blacks and Latinos-could improve the health status of young children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. aguerrero@mednet.ucla.edu.|Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. aguerrero@mednet.ucla.edu.|UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, Los Angeles, CA, USA. aguerrero@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Alma D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research & Prevention, Division of Vaccine and Infectious Diseases, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Cherry
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley Institute of Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.affiliation: UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Department of Social Welfare, School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA John Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Alice A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: BMI; Early childhood; Ethnic disparities; Fast-food; Obesity; Soda consumption