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DeWeese R, Thompson A, Acciai F, Ohri-Vachaspati P. Farm to school programs in low-income, high minority K-12 schools in New Jersey before and after implementation of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act. JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION 2023; 18:651-660. [PMID: 37727805 PMCID: PMC10506843 DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2023.2184666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed the prevalence of farm to school (FTS) programs in K-12 schools in four low-income, high-minority cities in New Jersey before and after implementation of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), between school years 2010-11 and 2017-18. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model FTS participation and the prevalence of FTS before versus after HHFKA initiation. Schools showed a significant positive trend in FTS participation (OR 1.18; p=.010) over the study period. Nonetheless, 20% of schools participated in FTS for 3+ years over the eight-year study period. Findings underscore the importance of federal legislation in supporting child nutrition initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin DeWeese
- Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Adam Thompson
- Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Francesco Acciai
- Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, Phoenix, AZ
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2
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Nonnenmacher L, Baumann M, le Bihan E, Askenazy P, Chauvel L. Cross-border mobility in European countries: associations between cross-border worker status and health outcomes. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:588. [PMID: 33761912 PMCID: PMC7992783 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10564-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mobility of workers living in one country and working in a different country has increased in the European Union. Exposed to commuting factors, cross-border workers (CBWs) constitute a potential high-risk population. But the relationships between health and commuting abroad are under-documented. Our aims were to: (1) measure the prevalence of the perceived health status and the physical health outcomes (activity limitation, chronic diseases, disability and no leisure activities), (2) analyse their associations with commuting status as well as (3) with income and health index among CBWs. Methods Based on the ‘Enquête Emploi’, the French cross-sectional survey segment of the European Labour Force Survey (EU LFS), the population was composed of 2,546,802 workers. Inclusion criteria for the samples were aged between 20 and 60 years and living in the French cross-border departments of Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg. The Health Index is an additional measure obtained with five health variables. A logistic model was used to estimate the odds ratios of each group of CBWs, taking non-cross border workers (NCBWs) as the reference group, controlling by demographic background and labour status variables. Results A sample of 22,828 observations (2456 CBWs vs. 20,372 NCBWs) was retained. The CBW status is negatively associated with chronic diseases and disability. A marginal improvement of the health index is correlated with a wage premium for both NCBWs and CBWs. Commuters to Luxembourg have the best health outcomes, whereas commuters to Germany the worst. Conclusion CBWs are healthier and have more income. Interpretations suggest (1) a healthy cross-border phenomenon steming from a social selection and a positive association between income and the health index is confirmed; (2) the existence of major health disparities among CBWs; and (3) the rejection of the spillover phenomenon assumption for CBWs. The newly founded European Labour Authority (ELA) should take into account health policies as a promising way to support the cross-border mobility within the European Union. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10564-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Nonnenmacher
- Institute for Research on Sociology and Economic Inequalities. Department of Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Belval Campus, L-4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.,Centre Maurice Halbwachs, CNRS-ENS-PSL, 48 Boulevard Jourdan, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Michèle Baumann
- Institute for Research on Sociology and Economic Inequalities. Department of Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Belval Campus, L-4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Etienne le Bihan
- Institute for Research on Sociology and Economic Inequalities. Department of Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Belval Campus, L-4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Philippe Askenazy
- Centre Maurice Halbwachs, CNRS-ENS-PSL, 48 Boulevard Jourdan, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Louis Chauvel
- Institute for Research on Sociology and Economic Inequalities. Department of Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Belval Campus, L-4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
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3
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Yin X, Yang X, Ji L, Song G, Wu H, Li Y, Sun Y, Bi C, Li M, Zhang T, Kato H, Akira S, Haneda S. Comparison of growth and nutritional status of Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents. Ann Hum Biol 2020; 47:425-433. [PMID: 32892638 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2020.1766564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The difference in growth and nutritional status, both important indices of population quality, between Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents is unknown. AIM This study aimed to compare growth and nutritional status between Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The height-for-age and BMI-for-age distribution of 9,226 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years from China and Japan were described with the Lambda Mu and Sigma method. Wasting, overweight and obesity were evaluated based on BMI-for-age cut-offs of the 2007 WHO Child Growth Reference. RESULTS For boys, the overall average height, weight and BMI of Chinese participants were 3.0 cm, 4.8 kg and 1.2 kg/m2 greater compared with Japanese participants, respectively; for girls, these were 4.6 cm, 3.9 kg and 0.6 kg/m2, respectively. Compared with Japanese children, the 3rd, 50th and 97th percentiles of height-for-age, 1Z-score, and 2Z-score of BMI-for-age of Chinese children were greater, whereas the minus 2Z-scores of Chinese children were less. The prevalence of wasting, overweight and obesity among Chinese participants was greater. CONCLUSIONS Compared with Japanese children, Chinese children tended to be taller. The worrying burden of overweight, obesity and wasting was recognised among Chinese children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojian Yin
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Physical Education, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liu Ji
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ge Song
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huipan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuqiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cunjian Bi
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hiroshi Kato
- Department of Education, Wakayama University, Wakayama-city, Japan
| | - Suzuki Akira
- Department of Sports Science, Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Haneda
- Department of Sports Science, Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan
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4
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Madden D. BMI mobility and obesity transitions among children in Ireland. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2020; 38:100896. [PMID: 32526642 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines mobility and changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) for a sample of Irish children/adolescents across three waves of the longitudinal Growing Up in Ireland dataset. Particular attention is paid to transitions across the key BMI thresholds of overweight and obesity. Analysis is carried out by gender and by maternal education. In general, mobility is observed, with intra-generational rank-rank BMI coefficients of around 0.63 compared to coefficients of around 0.77 for the mothers of the children over the same time period. Across the distribution as a whole there is relatively little variation by gender and maternal education. However there a gender difference in terms of mobility out of obesity with the Shorrocks mobility index across categories of normal weight/overweight/obesity taking a value of 0.56 for females as opposed to 0.71 for males. This relative lack of mobility is more observed in later rather than earlier adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Madden
- School of Economics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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5
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Fafard St-Germain AA, Siddiqi A. The Relation Between Household Food Insecurity and Children's Height in Canada and the United States: A Scoping Review. Adv Nutr 2019; 10:1126-1137. [PMID: 31075160 PMCID: PMC6855965 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Household food insecurity is a determinant of health and marker of material deprivation. Although research has shown that food insecurity is associated with numerous adverse health, developmental and nutritional outcomes among children in high-income countries, little is known about its impact on children's height, an important marker of nutritional status and physical development. We reviewed evidence on the relation between experience-based measures of food insecurity and the height of children aged 0-18 y in Canada and the United States. The search, conducted in Embase, Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest, Web of Science, and EconLit from the inception of the databases to October 2017, identified 811 records that were screened for relevance. A total of 8 peer-reviewed studies, 2 from Canada and 6 from the United States, met the inclusion criteria and were summarized. Five studies found no association between food insecurity and children's height. One study found that having taller children in the household predicted more severe food insecurity, whereas 2 studies found that more severe experiences of food insecurity were associated with shorter height among children from ethnic minority populations. These results suggest that household food insecurity may not be associated with height inequalities among children in Canada and the United States, except perhaps in certain high-risk populations. However, the few studies identified for review provide insufficient evidence to determine whether food insecurity is or is not associated with children's height in these countries. Given the importance of optimal linear growth for current and future well-being, it is critical to understand how different modifiable environmental circumstances relate to children's height to help establish priorities for intervention. Families with children are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, and more research explicitly designed to examine the association between household food insecurity and children's height in high-income countries is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arjumand Siddiqi
- Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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6
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Antelo M, Magdalena P, Reboredo JC. Obesity: A major problem for Spanish minors. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017; 24:61-73. [PMID: 27889634 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manel Antelo
- Departamento de Fundamentos da Análise Económica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Norte s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | | | - Juan C Reboredo
- Departamento de Fundamentos da Análise Económica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Norte s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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7
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Apouey BH. Child physical development in the UK: the imprint of time and socioeconomic status. Public Health 2016; 141:255-263. [PMID: 27932011 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social health inequalities remain a key policy challenge. The existing literature has not presented a synthetic view on the evolution of inequalities in physical development across childhood. We examine social disparities as children grow older using a range of different outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Population-based secondary data analysis. METHODS We employ longitudinal data on British children aged 9 months to 12 years from the Millennium Cohort Study (n = 13,811-18,987) and focus on multiple child physical measures: weight, body mass index (BMI), overweight, fat mass and waist circumference. RESULTS Higher family income is associated with lower BMI (for females), less body fat and a smaller likelihood of overweight (for both genders) on average throughout childhood. When income is multiplied by 3, the probability of overweight decreases by 2.8 (95% CI -0.041 to -0.016) percentage points for females and by 2.7 (95% CI -0.038 to -0.016) percentage points for males. Social inequalities in weight, BMI, overweight and body fat significantly widen as children grow older, for both genders. For instance, for females, when income is multiplied by 3, the probability of overweight decreases by 1.6 (95% CI -0.032 to -0.000) percentage points at ages 2-3 years, but by 8.6 (95% CI -0.112 to -0.060) percentage points at ages 10-12 years. CONCLUSIONS The trajectory of social inequalities, which may reflect the cumulative effect of family socioeconomic status, is a precursor of inequalities in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- B H Apouey
- Paris School of Economics - CNRS, France
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8
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Apouey BH, Geoffard PY. Parents' education and child body weight in France: The trajectory of the gradient in the early years. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2016; 20:70-89. [PMID: 26656206 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores the relationship between parental education and offspring body weight in France. Using two large datasets spanning the 1991-2010 period, we examine the existence of inequalities in maternal and paternal education and reported child body weight measures, as well as their evolution across childhood. Our empirical specification is flexible and allows this evolution to be non-monotonic. Significant inequalities are observed for both parents' education--maternal (respectively paternal) high education is associated with a 7.20 (resp. 7.10) percentage points decrease in the probability that the child is reported to be overweight or obese, on average for children of all ages. The gradient with respect to parents' education follows an inverted U-shape across childhood, meaning that the association between parental education and child body weight widens from birth to age 8, and narrows afterward. Specifically, maternal high education is correlated with a 5.30 percentage points decrease in the probability that the child is reported to be overweight or obese at age 2, but a 9.62 percentage points decrease at age 8, and a 1.25 percentage point decrease at age 17. The figures for paternal high education are respectively 5.87, 9.11, and 4.52. This pattern seems robust, since it is found in the two datasets, when alternative variables for parental education and reported child body weight are employed, and when controls for potential confounding factors are included. The findings for the trajectory of the income gradient corroborate those of the education gradient. The results may be explained by an equalization in actual body weight across socioeconomic groups during youth, or by changes in reporting styles of height and weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bénédicte H Apouey
- Paris School of Economics - CNRS, 48, Boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France.
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9
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Frederick DA, Jenkins BN. Height and Body Mass on the Mating Market : Associations With Number of Sex Partners and Extra-Pair Sex Among Heterosexual Men and Women Aged 18-65. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 13:1474704915604563. [PMID: 37924179 PMCID: PMC10480972 DOI: 10.1177/1474704915604563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
People with traits that are attractive on the mating market are better able to pursue their preferred mating strategy. Men who are relatively tall may be preferred by women because taller height is a cue to dominance, social status, access to resources, and heritable fitness, leading them to have more mating opportunities and sex partners. We examined height, education, age, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI) as predictors of sexual history among heterosexual men and women (N = 60,058). The linear and curvilinear associations between self-reported height and sex partner number were small for men when controlling for education, BMI, and ethnicity (linear β = .05; curvilinear β = -.03). The mean and median number of sex partners for men of different heights were: very short (9.4; 5), short (11.0; 7), average (11.7; 7), tall (12.0; 7), very tall (12.1; 7), and extremely tall (12.3; 7). Men who were "overweight" reported a higher mean and median number of sex partners than men with other body masses. The results for men suggested limited variation in reported sex partner number across most of the height continuum, but that very short men report fewer partners than other men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brooke N. Jenkins
- Crean School of Health Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
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10
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Millimet DL, Tchernis R. Persistence in body mass index in a recent cohort of US children. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2015; 17:157-176. [PMID: 25466866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
While childhood obesity has become a significant public health concern over the last few decades, and underweight children continue to be a concern, knowledge pertaining to the origins of or persistence in childhood anthropometric measures is incomplete. Here, we utilize several nonparametric metrics to assess the evolution of weight and body mass index (BMI) across the entire distribution during early childhood. We find that movements within the distribution of weight - both upward and downward - are quite high prior to primary school and then decline noticeably. For BMI, we find that movements within the distribution - both upward and downward - are highest at the start of kindergarten and at the start of middle school. However, there are important sources of heterogeneity, including race, gender, and age that should prove insightful to researchers and policymakers. For instance, comparing males versus females who are initially in the bottom quartile of the distribution of BMI, we find that males have a higher probability of moving up at least 10 percentile points between kindergarten and eighth grade (53% versus 50%). Comparisons among racial groups indicate that whites who are initially in the top quartile of the distribution of BMI have a higher probability of moving down at least 10 percentile points between kindergarten and eighth grade than blacks and Hispanics (46% versus 37% and 40%, respectively).
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11
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Jo Y. What money can buy: family income and childhood obesity. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2014; 15:1-12. [PMID: 25434511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the relationship between family income and childhood obesity. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), I report three new findings. First, family income and childhood obesity are generally negatively correlated, but for children in very low-income families, they are positively correlated. Second, the negative association between family income and Body Mass Index (BMI) is especially strong and significant among high-BMI children. Third, the difference in obesity rates between children from low- and high-income families increases as children age. This study further investigates potential factors that might contribute to a rapid increase in the obesity rate among low-income children. I find that their faster weight gain, rather than slower height growth, is a greater contributor to the rapid increase in their BMI over time. On the other hand, I also find that the faster weight gain by low-income children cannot be attributed to any single factor, such as participation in school meal programs, parental characteristics, or individual characteristics. These findings add to the current obesity debate by demonstrating that the key to curbing childhood obesity may lie in factors generating different obesity rates across income levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Jo
- Department of Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 214 David Kinley Hall, 1407 W. Gregory, Urbana, IL 61801, United States.
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12
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Murasko JE. Associations between household income, height and BMI in contemporary US children: infancy through early childhood. Ann Hum Biol 2014; 41:488-96. [PMID: 24564167 DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2014.885081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies report positive associations between household income and height in childhood and negative associations between income and body mass index (BMI). No study has evaluated concurrent associations in early-life. AIM To evaluate the association between household income and anthropometric development in early-life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) is a representative sample of US children born in 2001 and followed from ~9 months through 5 years. A generalized linear mixed modelling framework estimates income associations to the levels and velocities of height and BMI. RESULTS A doubling of permanent income is associated with an ~0.26 cm height advantage over the ages of the sample and an approximate 0.11 cm/year faster velocity at 9 months. All race-sex sub-groups show some positive association between income and height. Income shows little association to BMI at 9 months but by 5 years a doubling of income is associated with a 0.25 kg/m(2) lower BMI. This is suggested to derive from a lower BMI velocity associated with higher income. The BMI relationships are generally reflective of white and Hispanic children. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that associations between income and anthropometric development in US children have origins in early-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason E Murasko
- Department of Economics, University of Houston - Clear Lake , Houston, TX , USA
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13
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Manfredini M, Breschi M, Fornasin A, Seghieri C. Height, socioeconomic status and marriage in Italy around 1900. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:465-473. [PMID: 22819232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2011] [Revised: 06/29/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This study examines the role of height in the process of mate selection in two Italian populations at the turn of the twentieth century, Alghero, in the province of Sassari, and Treppo Carnico, in the province of Udine. Based on a linkage between military registers and marriage certificates, this study reveals a negative selection of short men on marriage and a differential effect of tallness by population in the process of mate choice. These findings emerge once SES is taken into account in the risk models of marriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Manfredini
- Department of Genetics Anthropology Evolution, University of Parma, Italy.
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14
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Hu Y, He L, Wu Y, Ma G, Li L, Hu Y. Familial correlation and aggregation of body mass index and blood pressure in Chinese Han population. BMC Public Health 2013; 13:686. [PMID: 23890201 PMCID: PMC3729501 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It remains unclear whether the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) profile are clustered within families in Chinese Han population. The aim of this study is to explore familial aggregation and parent-offspring correlations of BMI and blood pressure in Chinese Han population. Methods 6,369 Han nucleus families, consisting of parents and at least one biological adult child who were living together, were enrolled from the nation-wide cross-sectional study (China National Nutrition and Health Survey) which was conducted in 2002, with a total number of 19,107 participants aged 18–64 years (6,369 sets of parents, 4,132 sons and 2,237 daughters). Family aggregation (Intra-class correlations, ICCs) and parent-offspring correlations in BMI, systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were estimated using linear mixed effect regression models. Results BMI and BP levels in two generations and ICCs of BMI, SBP and DBP varied across the country. Familial aggregation of overweight/obesity was observed in rural area (ICC = 5.4%, p<0.05), and high BP (defined as SBP ≥ 120 mmHg or DBP ≥ 80 mmHg) was more common in low income families (ICC = 4.4%, p<0.05) compared to middle income (ICC = 1.9%) and high income families (ICC = 2.6%). Additionally, offspring with more parents being overweight/obese tend to have higher BMI. The similar trend was found for high BP. However, we did not observe that same-sex parent-offspring correlations of BMI and BP were stronger than the correlations for mother-son or father-daughter. Conclusions Our study suggested that familial environments, alongside the impact of genetic factors, could be important non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD) risk factors. Family-based intervention taking both mother and father into account might have great potential in NCD prevention for younger generation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yonghua Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China.
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15
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Liu H, Fang H, Zhao Z. Urban-rural disparities of child health and nutritional status in China from 1989 to 2006. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:294-309. [PMID: 22608863 PMCID: PMC4104502 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper analyzes urban-rural disparities of China's child health and nutritional status using the China Health and Nutrition Survey data from 1989 to 2006. We investigate degrees of health and nutritional disparities between urban and rural children in China as well as how such disparities have changed during the period 1989-2006. The results show that on average urban children have 0.29 higher height-for-age z-scores and 0.19 greater weight-for-age z-scores than rural children. Urban children are approximately 40% less likely to be stunted (OR=0.62; p<0.01) or underweight (OR=0.62; p<0.05) during the period 1989-2006. We also find that the urban-rural health and nutritional disparities have been declining significantly from 1989 to 2006. Both urban and rural children have increased consumption of high protein and fat foods from 1989 to 2006, but the urban-rural difference decreased over time. Moreover, the urban-rural gap in child preventive health care access was also reduced during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- Central University of Finance and Economics, No. 39 College South Road, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hai Fang
- University of Colorado at Denver, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Zhong Zhao
- Renmin University of China, No. 59 Zhongguancun St., Beijing 100872, China
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16
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Murasko JE. Physical growth and cognitive skills in early-life: evidence from a nationally representative US birth cohort. Soc Sci Med 2012; 97:267-77. [PMID: 23267777 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Revised: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper establishes associations between length/height and cognitive skills in infancy, toddlerhood, and school-entry. The data come from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a representative longitudinal sample of US children born in 2001. A positive association between length/height and cognition is found as early as 9 months and continues through school-entry. These associations are robust to controls for birthweight and economic status. Early growth is also shown to be a stronger predictor of reading and math skills in kindergarten than attained height. Girls exhibit stronger evidence of this latter result than boys. These findings have implications for the interpretation of early life as a critical period for the growth-cognition relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason E Murasko
- Dept. of Economics, Finance, Decision Science, & Marketing, University of Houston - Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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