Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Ethn Dis. 2012 Spring;22(2):198-206.
Childhood disadvantage has been associated with increased risk of obesity from childhood through adulthood and those who are disadvantaged across the lifecourse are at highest risk. The effect of lifecourse socioeconomic status (SES) is particularly important for Black women due to the higher prevalence of low SES and obesity in Black compared to White women. We assessed associations of lifecourse SES, as indicated by educational status, with adult weight in African American women.
We assessed the associations of parental education, current education (education of participant or her spouse), and a combination of parental and current education (lifecourse education) with weight gain among 21,457 women aged < 55 years in the longitudinal Black Women's Health Study, which began in 1995.
We estimated the mean difference in weight gain between age 18 and age in 2009, and risk ratios for obesity in 2009, in each level of education compared to the highest level (college graduate).
The age- and height-adjusted differences in mean weight gain for the lowest levels of parental and current education compared to the highest levels were 3.29 and 4.49 kg, respectively. The age-adjusted risk ratios for obesity for the lowest level of parental and current education were 1.44 (95% CI 1.32-1.57) and 1.75 (95% CI 1.57-1.95), respectively. Risk of obesity was lowest among those with current education of college graduate, regardless of parental education.
Educational level of college graduate may overcome the adverse effects of low parental education on weight gain and obesity risk.
童年逆境与儿童期至成年期肥胖风险增加有关，而一生中处于劣势的人风险最高。生活社会经济地位（SES）的影响对于黑人女性尤为重要，因为与白人女性相比，黑人女性的 SES 较低和肥胖的比例更高。我们评估了生活 SES（由教育程度表示）与非裔美国女性成人体重的关联。
我们评估了父母教育、当前教育（参与者或其配偶的教育）以及父母和当前教育的组合（生活教育）与纵向黑人女性健康研究中 21457 名年龄<55 岁的女性体重增加的关联，该研究始于 1995 年。
我们估计了 18 岁时与 2009 年体重增加的平均差异，并估计了每个教育水平与最高教育水平（大学毕业生）相比肥胖的风险比。
与最高水平相比，最低水平的父母和当前教育的年龄和身高调整后的平均体重增加差异分别为 3.29kg 和 4.49kg。最低水平的父母和当前教育的年龄调整后肥胖风险比分别为 1.44（95%CI 1.32-1.57）和 1.75（95%CI 1.57-1.95）。无论父母的教育程度如何，具有大学学历的当前教育者的肥胖风险最低。
大学毕业的教育水平可能会克服父母教育水平低对体重增加和肥胖风险的不利影响。
