Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Intergenerational Pathways Between Parental Experiences of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Child Weight:
Jerica M Berge1, Allan Tate1, Amanda Trofholz1
1From University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Minneapolis (JMB, ATrofholz); University of Georgia, College of Public Health, Athens (ATate); University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, Minneapolis (AKB).
Background/Objective:
Prior research suggests an association between parental experiencing of 1 or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and increased risk for overweight/obesity in children. However, the pathways through which parental experiences of ACEs lead to child weight are unclear.
Methods:
Participants were parent and child dyads from racially/ethnically diverse and low-income households in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2015. Parents completed an online survey regarding their own adverse experiences in childhood, their height and weight, parenting practices, and mental health. Child height and weight were obtained from electronic medical records. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the extent to which parent mental health and parenting practices mediate associations between parental ACEs and child body mass index (BMI) percentile.
Results:
The parent mental health pathway was statistically significant in explaining the intergenerational transmission of parental ACEs to child weight. Parent ACEs were positively associated with low parent mental health, parent low mental health was correlated with higher parent BMI > 25, and parent overweight was positively related to higher child BMI percentile.
Conclusions:
Study findings suggest that intervening on parent low mental health may be a key factor in reducing the intergenerational transmission between parental ACEs and child weight.
More Related Videos
05:44Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
Published on: May 17, 2024
04:20Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model
Published on: July 12, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Bulimia Nervosa
Nature and Nurture
Gene-Environment Interactions
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Adler's Individual Psychology