Associations Among Body Mass Index,Depression, and Family Factors Across Two Generations

In this pilot study, we examined the relationship between health factors, sociodemographic factors, and body mass index (BMI) across two generations (n = 41 parent-child pairs). Generation 1 study variables included parent- and family-focused characteristics and health variables, the Generation 2 variables included child demographic factors, and the outcome variable was youths’ physical health (operationalized as BMI). Regression models revealed that Generation 1 variables, taken together, accounted for 26% of the variance in youth BMI. However, only the parent’s mental health symptoms (i.e., depression symptoms) made a unique contribution to the variance in youth BMI. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the youths’ race and age—but no other demographic factor—were significantly related to youth BMI-for-age. Our findings suggest that youth race, age, and parent mental health are each associated with youth physical health (i.e., BMI), confirming previous study findings that parental factors and demographic factors should be considered when exploring youth health outcomes.