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Life-course trajectories of body mass index from adolescence to old age: Racial and educational disparities

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  • Yang Claire Yang

    (Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516)

  • Christine E. Walsh

    (Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516; Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599)

  • Moira P. Johnson

    (Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516)

  • Daniel W. Belsky

    (Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032)

  • Max Reason

    (Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516)

  • Patrick Curran

    (Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599)

  • Allison E. Aiello

    (Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599)

  • Marianne Chanti-Ketterl

    (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705)

  • Kathleen Mullan Harris

    (Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516)

Abstract

No research exists on how body mass index (BMI) changes with age over the full life span and social disparities therein. This study aims to fill the gap using an innovative life-course research design and analytic methods to model BMI trajectories from early adolescence to old age across 20th-century birth cohorts and test sociodemographic variation in such trajectories. We conducted the pooled integrative data analysis (IDA) to combine data from four national population-based NIH longitudinal cohort studies that collectively cover multiple stages of the life course (Add Health, MIDUS, ACL, and HRS) and estimate mixed-effects models of age trajectories of BMI for men and women. We examined associations of BMI trajectories with birth cohort, race/ethnicity, parental education, and adult educational attainment. We found higher mean levels of and larger increases in BMI with age across more recent birth cohorts as compared with earlier-born cohorts. Black and Hispanic excesses in BMI compared with Whites were present early in life and persisted at all ages, and, in the case of Black–White disparities, were of larger magnitude for more recent cohorts. Higher parental and adulthood educational attainment were associated with lower levels of BMI at all ages. Women with college-educated parents also experienced less cohort increase in mean BMI. Both race and education disparities in BMI trajectories were larger for women compared with men.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang Claire Yang & Christine E. Walsh & Moira P. Johnson & Daniel W. Belsky & Max Reason & Patrick Curran & Allison E. Aiello & Marianne Chanti-Ketterl & Kathleen Mullan Harris, 2021. "Life-course trajectories of body mass index from adolescence to old age: Racial and educational disparities," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 118(17), pages 2020167118-, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:118:y:2021:p:e2020167118
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    Cited by:

    1. Leopold, Liliya & van Valkengoed, Irene G.M. & Engelhardt, Henriette, 2023. "Education and age trajectories of chronic conditions: Are tests of the cumulative advantage and disadvantage hypothesis biased by underreporting?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    2. Ha-Linh Nguyen & Tatjana Geukens & Marion Maetens & Samuel Aparicio & Ayse Bassez & Ake Borg & Jane Brock & Annegien Broeks & Carlos Caldas & Fatima Cardoso & Maxim Schepper & Mauro Delorenzi & Caroli, 2023. "Obesity-associated changes in molecular biology of primary breast cancer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Glei, Dana A. & Weinstein, Maxine, 2023. "Economic distress, obesity, and the rise in pain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 339(C).
    4. Li, Xun & Pan, Wensi & Xu, Gang, 2024. "A “leaner” government? The effect of China's anti-corruption campaign on the body weight and health of public sector employees," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 141-169.

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