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Socioeconomic Status and Trajectory of Overweight from Birth to Mid-Childhood: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort

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  • Jessica C Jones-Smith
  • Marlowe Gates Dieckmann
  • Laura Gottlieb
  • Jessica Chow
  • Lia C H Fernald

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to use longitudinal data from a US birth cohort to test whether the probability of overweight or obesity during the first 6 years of life varied according to socioeconomic status. Design and Methods: Using six waves of longitudinal data from full-term children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (2001–2007; n≈4,950), we examined the prevalence of overweight or obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI)>2 standard deviations above age- and sex- specific WHO Childhood Growth Standard reference mean; henceforth, “overweight/obesity”) according to age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity using generalized estimating equation models. Results: The association between socioeconomic status and overweight/obesity varied significantly by race/ethnicity, but not by sex. Overweight/obesity was significantly associated with socioeconomic status among whites, Hispanics and Asians; the adjusted odds of overweight/obesity began to diverge according to SES after the first 9 months of life. By approximately 4 years, children with the highest SES had a significantly lower odds of overweight/obesity. SES was not significantly related to overweight/obesity among African Americans and American Indians during early childhood. Conclusions: Few studies have assessed the associations between SES and overweight/obesity within racial/ethnic groups in the US. We find that in contemporary, US-born children, SES was inversely associated with overweight/obesity among more racial/ethnic groups (whites, Hispanics, and Asians) than previously reported.

Suggested Citation

  • Jessica C Jones-Smith & Marlowe Gates Dieckmann & Laura Gottlieb & Jessica Chow & Lia C H Fernald, 2014. "Socioeconomic Status and Trajectory of Overweight from Birth to Mid-Childhood: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-10, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0100181
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100181
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    1. Barbara Wolfe & Jessica Jakubowski & Robert Haveman & Marissa Courey, 2012. "The Income and Health Effects of Tribal Casino Gaming on American Indians," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(2), pages 499-524, May.
    2. Chang, Virginia W., 2006. "Racial residential segregation and weight status among US adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 1289-1303, September.
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    1. Ying Huang, 2020. "Grandparents’ wealth and the body mass index trajectories of grandchildren," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Schochet, Owen N. & Johnson, Anna D. & Ryan, Rebecca M., 2020. "The relationship between increases in low-income mothers’ education and children’s early outcomes: Variation by developmental stage and domain," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).

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