Mediation by parent health literacy and behaviour of socioeconomic inequality in child overweight
Authors' conclusion
We found large socioeconomic inequalities in childhood overweight. Remarkably, parental smoking was a key mediator. Therefore, prevention targeting smoking may reduce socioeconomic inequalities in childhood overweight.
Study context
- Population
- Children in the Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study, baseline age 9.8 years (SD = 2.6); mean follow-up 36.2 months (SD = 9.3)
- Participants
- 6,683 children
- Exposure
- Parental socioeconomic status (education, income, occupation) and childhood overweight, mediated by parental health literacy and health behaviours
- Outcome
- Childhood overweight (age- and sex-specific cut-offs); mediation by parental health literacy and health behaviours (smoking, diet, physical activity, alcohol)
Methodological detailsmultigenerational, causal mediation analysis
- Multigenerational
- Causal mediation analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Decrease in odds of childhood overweight per 4 additional years of education
- 42%
- Decrease in odds of childhood overweight per SD-increase in income
- 12%
- Decrease in odds of childhood overweight per SD-increase in occupation
- 20%
- Only parental smoking independently mediated: education
- 6.6%
- Only parental smoking independently mediated: occupation
- 5.7%
- Parental health behaviours jointly explained: education
- 8.4%
- Parental health behaviours jointly explained: income
- 19.4%
- Parental health behaviours jointly explained: occupation
- 9.8%
- Adding parental health literacy explained: education
- 10.8%
- Adding parental health literacy explained: income
- 27.4%
- Adding parental health literacy explained: occupation
- 13.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Mediation by parent health literacy and behaviour of socioeconomic inequality in child overweight. Pediatr Obes. Published 29 July 2024. doi:10.
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