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Intergenerational 'mismatch' and adiposity in a developing population: the Guangzhou biobank cohort study
Sushma Kavikondala1, Chao Qiang Jiang, Wei Sen Zhang
1The University of Hong Kong, Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 19, 2010
Summary
Maternal literacy, a proxy for early life conditions, is linked to adult obesity in women, but not men, in developing economies. This suggests women may be more vulnerable to adiposity due to intergenerational environmental mismatches.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Human Biology
Background:
- Intergenerational environmental 'mismatch' is a hypothesized contributor to obesity, particularly in developing economies.
- Maternal conditions may influence offspring's long-term health outcomes, including adiposity.
- Understanding these links is crucial for public health interventions in rapidly developing populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal conditions (maternal literacy) and adult adiposity (BMI, WHR).
- To examine if later life conditions (SEP) modify these associations.
- To determine if maternal conditions have sex-specific effects on adult adiposity.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 19,957 adults (≥50 years) from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.
- Multivariable linear regression used to assess associations between maternal literacy, BMI, and WHR.
- Analysis considered modifications by sex, age, and socio-economic position (SEP) across life stages.
Main Results:
- Maternal illiteracy was associated with higher WHR and BMI in women, but not men.
- These associations persisted after adjusting for lifestyle, life course SEP, and paternal literacy.
- No significant variation in associations was found with SEP at any life stage, though early life conditions may exacerbate effects.
Conclusions:
- Poor maternal conditions in developing populations may increase adiposity vulnerability specifically in women.
- Sex-specific intergenerational effects warrant further investigation into mechanisms like epigenetics or hormones.
- Mismatched maternal and later life conditions do not appear linked to adiposity; a transient obesity epidemic may affect women experiencing economic development.
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