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Online Program

322696
Association between family history of high cholesterol and childhood obesity using a longitudinal study of fifth grade Appalachian children


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 8:30 a.m. - 8:48 a.m.

Amna Umer, BDS, MPH, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Candice Hamilton, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Christine Britton, Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Martha Mullett, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Collin John, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
William Neal, MD, Pediatrics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Christa Lilly, PhD, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Introduction: Childhood obesity has numerous known comorbid conditions, including elevated cholesterol. Additionally, one of the known risk factors for high cholesterol levels during childhood is having a family history of high cholesterol. The objective of the study was to determine if family history of cholesterol is a significant risk factor for childhood obesity after controlling for the child’s cholesterol levels.

Methods: The study used longitudinally linked data from two cross-sectional datasets (the WV Birth-Score Project and the CARDIAC project) in West Virginian children (N=22,136). The main outcome variable was fifth-grade BMI percent above ideal (BMI%) and the main exposure was defined as parent reported family history of cholesterol. Covariates included sex, race, maternal and paternal education, child’s birth-weight, maternal smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding intent, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

Results: The mean BMI% of children who had a family history of cholesterol was significantly higher compared to children who had no family history of cholesterol: 21.68% (95%CI: 21.10 – 22.27) versus 18.36% (95%CI: 17.94 – 18.78; p<0.0001). Multiple regression analysis showed that family history was significantly and positively associated with BMI% after controlling for covariates (p<0.0001, Adj. R-square = 0.1831).

Conclusion: Our results show a significant but small positive association between family history of cholesterol and childhood obesity after controlling for the child’s cholesterol, gender, race, parental education and smoking, and intent to breastfeed. Our study results suggest that future research should focus on more proximal factors that contribute larger amounts of variance in the child’s BMI%, compared to role of genetics or family history of cholesterol, which may be a more distal factor.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the role between family history of high cholesterol and childhood obesity

Keyword(s): Obesity, Chronic Disease Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am currently doing PhD in Epidemiology. I am interested in conducting research on various aspects of childhood obesity and the role of various factors associated with childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4032.0: Childhood Obesity in Epidemiological Research