TY - JOUR
T1 - The Association of Parental/Caregiver Chronic Stress with Youth Obesity
T2 - Findings from the Study of Latino Youth and the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study
AU - Isasi, Carmen R.
AU - Hua, Simin
AU - Jung, Molly
AU - Carnethon, Mercedes R.
AU - Perreira, Krista
AU - Vidot, Denise C.
AU - Salazar, Christian R.
AU - McCurley, Jessica L.
AU - Sotres-Alvarez, Daniela
AU - Van Horn, Linda
AU - Delamater, Alan M.
AU - Llabre, Maria M.
AU - Gallo, Linda C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc..
PY - 2017/8
Y1 - 2017/8
N2 - Background: Prior studies indicate that chronic stress is associated with obesity in adults. However, whether parental/caregiver stress is associated with obesity in their offspring has not been widely examined in Hispanic/Latino populations. In this study, we evaluated the role of caregiver chronic stress on child obesity and whether home food environment or child lifestyle behaviors explained the association. Methods: The study included a sample of Hispanic/Latino youth and their caregivers (n = 473) from the Study of Latinos (SOL) Youth study and the Hispanic Community Health Study/SOL Sociocultural Study, which enrolled children aged 8-16 years from four cities (Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego), and provided assessments of adult chronic stress. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between parental/caregiver stress and child obesity, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Twenty-two percent of caregivers did not report any chronic stressors, 48% reported 1-2, and 29% reported ≥3 stressors. The prevalence of obesity in youth increased with number of caregiver stressors from 23% among those without caregiver stressors to 35% among those with ≥3 stressors (p for trend 0.03). After model adjustment, youths whose caregivers reported ≥3 stressors were more likely to be obese than youths whose caregivers reported no stressors (prevalence ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.32). This association was independent of food home environment, child diet quality, and child physical activity, but it was not independent of caregiver obesity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that parental/caregiver chronic stress is related to obesity in their children. Future research is needed to confirm this association in longitudinal studies and in other population groups.
AB - Background: Prior studies indicate that chronic stress is associated with obesity in adults. However, whether parental/caregiver stress is associated with obesity in their offspring has not been widely examined in Hispanic/Latino populations. In this study, we evaluated the role of caregiver chronic stress on child obesity and whether home food environment or child lifestyle behaviors explained the association. Methods: The study included a sample of Hispanic/Latino youth and their caregivers (n = 473) from the Study of Latinos (SOL) Youth study and the Hispanic Community Health Study/SOL Sociocultural Study, which enrolled children aged 8-16 years from four cities (Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego), and provided assessments of adult chronic stress. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between parental/caregiver stress and child obesity, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Twenty-two percent of caregivers did not report any chronic stressors, 48% reported 1-2, and 29% reported ≥3 stressors. The prevalence of obesity in youth increased with number of caregiver stressors from 23% among those without caregiver stressors to 35% among those with ≥3 stressors (p for trend 0.03). After model adjustment, youths whose caregivers reported ≥3 stressors were more likely to be obese than youths whose caregivers reported no stressors (prevalence ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.32). This association was independent of food home environment, child diet quality, and child physical activity, but it was not independent of caregiver obesity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that parental/caregiver chronic stress is related to obesity in their children. Future research is needed to confirm this association in longitudinal studies and in other population groups.
KW - Caregiver stress
KW - Home environment
KW - Obesity
KW - Youth
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U2 - 10.1089/chi.2016.0205
DO - 10.1089/chi.2016.0205
M3 - Article
C2 - 28398853
AN - SCOPUS:85025137422
SN - 2153-2168
VL - 13
SP - 251
EP - 258
JO - Childhood Obesity
JF - Childhood Obesity
IS - 4
ER -