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. 2020 Apr 30;15(4):e0232491.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232491. eCollection 2020.

Grandparents' wealth and the body mass index trajectories of grandchildren

Ying Huang  1
Affiliations

Grandparents' wealth and the body mass index trajectories of grandchildren

Ying Huang. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: The aims of this study are to (i) examine associations between grandparents' wealth and grandchild's initial body mass index (BMI) in early childhood and its subsequent growth patterns, and to (ii) assess whether the associations are similar for white and black children.

Methods: Data are from the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and its supplemental studies of Child Development Supplement (CDS) and Transition to Adulthood (TA) (N = 2,128). Three-level growth curve models are used to analyze the association between exposure to grandparental wealth in early childhood and grandchildren's BMI growth trajectories, accounting for parental sociodemographic characteristics and maternal BMI levels.

Results: Children with less grandparental wealth in early childhood have higher initial BMI than children with more grandparental wealth. Further, increases in grandparental wealth in childhood are associated with a slower BMI growth rate. The wealth-body mass index associations are more evident among white children than black children.

Conclusions: The study reveals a multigenerational social gradient to body mass index. Elevating the wealth levels of the grandparent generation could potentially reduce their grandchildren's obesity risk. The protective role of grandparental wealth seems to be more evident among white families than black families.

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Conflict of interest statement

NO authors have competing interests.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Predicted trajectories of children’s BMI growth trajectories, by G1 levels of wealth.
formula image Lowest quartile of the G1’s wealth distribution. formula image Middle quartiles of the G1’s wealth distribution. formula image Top quartile of the G1’s wealth distribution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.