Maternal depression and child BMI: longitudinal findings from a US sample.

Pediatr Obes

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Columbia University-NYSPI, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Published: April 2012

Objective: To examine the association between maternal depression and child body mass index (BMI) from Kindergarten (K) to fifth grade.

Methods: Analysis of four waves of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten spanning K to fifth grade. Maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) were measured by a brief version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses, adjusting for key covariates and potential confounders. The analytic sample was restricted to children of normal birth weight.

Results: The relationship between MDS and child BMI varies by child gender and age. Among girls, severe MDS at K was related to lower BMI at third grade (but not later at fifth grade) and to an increase in BMI from K to third and K to fifth grades. Among boys, severe MDS at K was related to higher boys' BMI at fifth grade. When severe MDS occurred at third grade, it was related to higher BMI at fifth grade among girls whereas no statistically significant relationship was found for boys. Low levels of physical activity in comparison to peers at fifth grade and more screen time on weekends at third grade are likely mediators of the relationship between MDS and child BMI among girls, while among boys the relationship appears to be mediated by unhealthy eating habits.

Conclusions: Our findings, indicating developmental and gender differences in the relationship between maternal depression and child BMI, if confirmed, suggest that interventions addressing maternal depression may have concomitant impact on childhood obesity.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4353610PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2047-6310.2011.00012.xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

maternal depression
16
child bmi
16
depression child
12
severe mds
12
third grade
12
bmi
9
grade
8
relationship mds
8
mds child
8
bmi third
8

Similar Publications

Objectives: Postpartum depression is a common and serious mental health problem which is associated with maternal distress and negative consequences for the offspring. Research confirms the presence of differences in the prevalence of postpartum depression in different social groups. The aim of this study was to compare the severity of maternal symptoms in Poland and Zimbabwe and to identify risk factors occurring in both groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Postpartum depression (PPD) adversely affects the growth and development of the offspring, increasing the risk of various internalizing behaviorsduring adolescence. Studies have shown that corticosterone (CORT)-induced PPD affects neurogenesis in the offspring, which is closely related to the onset of depression. However, the underlying mechanisms of these changes in the offspring of PPD mothers remain unexplored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Depression and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pose significant challenges during pregnancy. Limited literature exists on depression in women with GDM, with most studies focusing on pre-pregnancy diabetes or postpartum depression. This study fills a crucial gap by specifically investigating and comparing antenatal depression among subjects with and without GDM in Bangladesh, utilizing data from the gestational period.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Individuals undergo significant stress throughout pregnancy and are at high risk for depressive symptoms. Elevated stress and depressive symptoms are associated with inflammatory processes and adverse maternal-infant outcomes. However, the biological processes associated with psychosocial outcomes and the maternal immune system remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Identifying proximal and multigenerational distal risk mechanisms through which adversity exposure may shape neuroendocrine dysregulation among children is critical to advancing effective preventive interventions for adversity-exposed individuals. Utilizing longitudinal data ( = 247), the current study examined maternal and offspring history of childhood maltreatment (CM) as predictors of offspring cortisol/DHEA ratios, and, in exploratory analyses, extended this longitudinally to offspring depressive symptoms in young adulthood. Youth (ages 8-13 years) initially attended a research camp, then were followed up approximately eight years later (ages 18-22 years).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!