Life-Course Physical and Social Consequences of Early-Life Obesity Tetyana Pudrovska Assistant Professor of Sociology and Demography Pennsylvania State University
The Long Arm of Childhood Obesity Early-life obesity as a health risk and social risk Short-term consequences Biological and social Often become long-term Long-term consequences Direct biological Direct social Indirect biological via social disadvantage
Data Sets The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) 10,317 Wisconsin high school graduates, class of 1957 1939 birth cohort Surveyed in 1957 (age 18), 1975 (age 36), 1993 (age 54), 2004 (age 65), 2012 (age 73)… Innovative measure of early-life obesity
Data Sets The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study 8,619 high school yearbooks 6 coders rated facial adiposity in pictures on scale from 1 (lowest) to 11 (highest) Very high validity and reliability
Coding Facial Obesity
Coding Facial Obesity
Data Sets The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY) Nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and women who were 14-22 years old in 1979 1957-1964 birth cohorts Three subsamples: General (N = 6,111) Oversample of minority and low SES (N = 5,295) Military (N =1,280) Self-reported height and weight
Data Sets The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Nationally representative program of large-scale surveys designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children Began in the early 1960s and still ongoing Oversample of Mexican population Measured height, weight, WC, fat distribution Rich source of biomarkers Limitation: Repeated cross-section, no true within-individual changes
WLS: Reciprocal Chain of Disadvantage btw Obesity and Low SES
NLSY: Reciprocal Chain of Disadvantage btw Obesity and Low SES
NLSY: Reciprocal Chain of Disadvantage btw Obesity and Low SES
WLS: Adolescent Obesity and Late-Life Mortality
WLS: Adolescent Obesity and Health Outcomes by Age 65 POOR SELF-RATED HEALTH Adjusting for midlife BMI
WLS: Adolescent Obesity and Health Outcomes by Age 65 HYPERTENSION Adjusting for midlife BMI
WLS: Adolescent Obesity and Health Outcomes by Age 65 DIABETES Adjusting for midlife BMI
WLS: Adolescent Obesity and Health Outcomes by Age 65 HEART DISEASE Adjusting for midlife BMI
NHANES 2003-2004: Waist Circumference & Inflammation Girls, Ages 0-11
NHANES 2003-2004: Waist Circumference & Inflammation Boys, Ages 0-11
NHANES 2003-2004: Waist Circumference & Inflammation Boys and Girls, Ages 12-19
NHANES 2003-2004: Waist Circumference & Glucose Metabolism Boys and Girls, Ages 12-19