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BACKGROUND: Parents are a major influence on child health behaviors and outcomes. For this reason, it is not surprising to see children with the same health characteristics as their parents. In the United States, childhood obesity prevalence continues to increase. With childhood obesity being a well-known precursor to many chronic conditions, there is need for further understanding of the relationship between parent and child health characteristics. The 2012 and 2013 South Carolina (SC) Children’s Health Assessment Surveys (CHAS) were linked with corresponding parent responses from the BRFSS (spell out) to assess the relationship between parent and child health status. The CHAS is an annual, state-wide, follow-up to the BRFSS that captures health information of children aged 0-17. The objectives of this study were to describe overweight and obesity among SC children by their parents’ health characteristics and to examine the relationship between child weight status and parent health characteristics.
METHODS: Descriptive statistics were used to study the distribution of overweight and obesity status of children by their parents’ health characteristics. Bivariate modeling was used to analyze parental risk factors associated with overweight and obesity among children in SC.
RESULTS: In 2012 and 2013, one third (33.3%) of all children in SC, aged 2 to 17, were overweight or obese. Black children were more at risk of being overweight or obese than white children (Unadjusted-OR=2.1*). Parents who were overweight or obese had an increased risk of having children that were overweight or obese (Unadjusted=OR 1.6*). Parents with diabetes were more likely to have children who were overweight or obese (Unadjusted=OR 2.5*). Also, parents who participated in physical activity less often were more likely to have a child that was overweight or obese (Unadjusted=OR 1.4*). Parents who reported having poor overall health were more likely to have children who were overweight or obese (Unadjusted-OR 2.4*).
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time that SC is able to report overweight and obesity data for all children aged 2-17 from one source, and to be able to also assess how parental characteristics are associated with those of their children. With this new information, we are now able to begin to enumerate the effects of parent health behaviors and outcomes on child health. This creates the opportunity to better understand how parental influences guide children’s own health behaviors and outcomes, and where to target state and national efforts for health promotion. * P-value < 0.05