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Early Changes in Socioeconomic Status Do Not Predict Changes in Body Mass in the First Decade of Life

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Many studies link childhood socioeconomic status (SES) to body mass index (BMI), but few account for the impact of socioeconomic mobility throughout the lifespan.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of socioeconomic mobility on changes in BMI in childhood. Analyses tested whether [1] socioeconomic status influences BMI, [2] changes in socioeconomic status impact changes in BMI, and [3] timing of socioeconomic status mobility impacts BMI.

Methods

Secondary data spanning birth to age 9 were analyzed. SES and BMI were investigated with gender, birth weight, maternal race/ethnicity, and maternal nativity as covariates. Autoregressive structural equation modeling and latent growth modeling were used.

Results

Socioeconomic status in the first year of life predicted body mass index. Child covariates were consistently associated with body mass index. Rate of change in socioeconomic status did not predict change in body mass index.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that early socioeconomic status may most influence body mass in later childhood.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Angela Crossman and Dr. Joel Erblich for their comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards

Authors Starkey and Revenson declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, USA

    Leighann Starkey M. Phil

  2. Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, USA

    Tracey A. Revenson Ph. D.

Authors
  1. Leighann Starkey M. Phil
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  2. Tracey A. Revenson Ph. D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leighann Starkey M. Phil.

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Starkey, L., Revenson, T.A. Early Changes in Socioeconomic Status Do Not Predict Changes in Body Mass in the First Decade of Life. ann. behav. med. 49, 212–220 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9648-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9648-1

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