Research Center for Medical and Social Development, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Int J Public Health. 2024 Feb 13;69:1606829. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606829. eCollection 2024.
To prospectively evaluate the effects of early weight status (childhood and adolescence) and changes in obesity status on human capital in adulthood. We employed data from the 1970 Birth Cohort Study in the United Kingdom. Data on height and weight during childhood and adolescence, human capital variables in adulthood were collected from 2,444 participants. Human capital includes cognitive ability, non-cognitive skill, educational attainment and health status. Data were analyzed through linear regression and logistic regression models. Our results showed that obesity during adolescence was negatively associated with cognitive ability ( = -0.83, < 0.01), educational attainment ( = -0.49, < 0.01), and some health outcomes; and that underweight in childhood also adversely affected educational attainment in females ( = -0.66, < 0.05). In terms of changes in obesity status, becoming obese in adolescence negatively affected cognitive ability ( = -1.18, < 0.01), educational attainment ( = -0.62, < 0.05) and some health outcomes, remaining obese was associated with all adverse health outcomes. Our results suggest that obesity during adolescence negatively affects a range of human capital outcomes in adulthood, and adolescence is a critical period during which early obesity affects adult human capital.
前瞻性评估早期体重状况（儿童期和青春期）和肥胖状况变化对成年人力资本的影响。方法：我们使用了英国 1970 年出生队列研究的数据。共纳入了 2444 名参与者，收集了他们儿童期和青春期的身高和体重数据以及成年后的人力资本变量数据。人力资本包括认知能力、非认知技能、教育程度和健康状况。采用线性回归和逻辑回归模型进行数据分析。结果：青春期肥胖与认知能力（β=-0.83，<0.01）、教育程度（β=-0.49，<0.01）和部分健康结果呈负相关；儿童期体重过轻也会对女性的教育程度产生不利影响（β=-0.66，<0.05）。就肥胖状况变化而言，青春期肥胖会对认知能力（β=-1.18，<0.01）、教育程度（β=-0.62，<0.05）和部分健康结果产生负面影响，而持续肥胖与所有不良健康结果相关。结论：青春期肥胖会对成年后的一系列人力资本结果产生负面影响，青春期是早期肥胖影响成人人力资本的关键时期。
