Abstract 033: Does Persistent Poverty Elevate Risk for Obesity More Than Occasional Poverty in Youth? Evidence From a Quebec Birth Cohort

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Kakinami ◽  
Marie Lambert ◽  
Lise Gauvin ◽  
Louise Séguin ◽  
Béatrice Nikiéma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Latency Period ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Statistics Canada

Background: Childhood poverty heightens the risk of obesity in adulthood, but its effect during childhood is poorly understood. We analyzed the relationship between poverty trajectories across the ages of 6, 8, 10, and 12 years with BMI Z-scores and the risk of being overweight in a birth cohort of children. Methods: Data were from 703 participants in the 1998-2010 ″Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development″ (n=2,120) birth cohort. Household income was measured annually with poverty defined as income below the low-income thresholds established by Statistics Canada adjusted for household size and geographic region. Children’s height and weight at ages 6, 8, 10, and 12 years were measured by trained study staff. Body mass index (BMI) was converted to age- and sex- standardized BMI Z-scores and percentiles and were classified as overweight or obese (BMI percentile > 85th) based on CDC growth curves. Trajectories of poverty across the ages of 6, 8, 10, and 12 years were characterized with a latent class group analysis using maximum likelihood in a semiparametric mixture model. Multivariable linear regressions predicted BMI Z-scores at different ages, and logistic regression predicted the risk of being overweight or obese based on poverty trajectories after adjusting for sex. Because all children at ages 6 and 8 years were pre-pubertal, and all children at age 12 were in puberty, only the model for BMI at age 10 adjusted for puberty. Results: Poverty trajectories were fairly stable across time and fell into 1 lower exposure category (consistently low exposure (approximately 70%, n=487)) and 3 higher exposure categories (increasing: 8%, n=55; decreasing: 10%, n=70; or consistently high exposure: 13%, n=91)). After adjusting for covariates, compared to children experiencing lower exposure to poverty, BMI Z-scores of children with consistently high exposure to poverty were 0.05 (p=NS), 0.12 (p=NS), 0.37 (p=0.02), and 0.42 (p=0.003) higher at ages 6, 8, 10, and 12 years, respectively. After adjustment, children experiencing consistently high exposure to poverty were at a significantly increased risk for being overweight or obese at age 8 (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3, p=0.01), age 10 (OR: 2.1, CI: 1.2-3.5, p=0.005), and at age 12 years (OR: 2.8, CI: 1.7-4.7, p<0.001) compared to children experiencing lower exposure to poverty. Children experiencing decreasing exposure to poverty at all ages, or increasing exposure at age 10 and 12 years were at an increased risk for being overweight or obese, but the results were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Findings suggest that there is a latency period for the detrimental effects of poverty on weight, but that previous exposure can still impact future weight even at a young age. Whether the disparity in weight status according to poverty trajectories widens as the children continue to age should be investigated.

Abstract P180: Does Poverty Consistently Affect Food Consumption in Childhood? Evidence from a Longitudinal Study in Children

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Kakinami ◽  
Marie Lambert ◽  
Lise Gauvin ◽  
Louise Séguin ◽  
Béatrice Nikiéma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Low Exposure ◽  
Statistics Canada ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Childhood poverty is associated with poorer food consumption patterns but longitudinal data on this association is limited. To assess if the relationship between food consumption and poverty differs depending on the child’s age and pattern of poverty, we analyzed the relationship between consumption of selected foods and poverty trajectories at various ages in a birth cohort. Methods: The 1998-2010 "Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development" (n=2,120) cohort was used for these analyses. Household income was measured annually with poverty defined as income below the low-income thresholds established by Statistics Canada adjusted for household size and geographic region. Frequency of children’s consumption of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), fruits, and vegetables were reported by parents using a food frequency questionnaire. Analyses were conducted on the 739 children with food consumption data. Trajectories of poverty at 6, 8, 10, and 12 years were characterized with latent class group analysis using maximum likelihood in a semiparametric mixture model. Multivariable logistic regression predicted the likelihood of having less than 2 servings a day of dairy, fruits and vegetables based on poverty trajectories after adjusting for age and sex. Results: The poverty trajectories were stable and fell into 1 lower exposure category (consistently low exposure (73%, n=537)) and 3 higher exposure categories (increasing: 8%, n=61; decreasing: 10%, n=73; or consistently high exposure: 9%, n=68)). Compared to children experiencing low exposure to poverty, children with increasing or high exposure to poverty were less likely to have at least two servings of fruit a day at all ages, but the results were not significant. Compared to children experiencing low exposure to poverty, children with high exposure were 55% (CI: 0.2-0.8, p=0.001), 31% (CI: 0.4-1.2, p=0.23), 67% (CI: 0.2-0.6, p<.0001), and 49% (CI: 0.3-0.8, p=0.001) less likely to have at least two servings of dairy a day at 6, 8, 10, and 12 years, respectively. Compared to children with low exposure to poverty, children with high exposure were 43% (CI: 0.3-0.9, p=0.02), 46% (CI: 0.3-0.9, p=0.02), 55% (CI: 0.3-0.8, p=0.003), and 47% (CI: 0.3-0.9, p=0.02) less likely to have at least two servings of vegetables a day at 6, 8, 10, and 12 years, respectively. Children at all ages with decreasing or increasing exposure to poverty were less likely to have at least two servings of vegetables a day, but the results were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Experiencing high exposure to poverty has consistent effects on food consumption throughout childhood. In addition, compared to children with low exposure to poverty, children with increasing or decreasing exposure were less likely to have at least 2 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, suggesting any exposure to poverty may have detrimental effects on consumption of selected foods.

scholarly journals Prenatal exposure to mercury and precocious puberty: a prospective birth cohort study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoying Wang ◽  
Wan-Yee Tang ◽  
Hongkai Ji ◽  
Xiaobin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Prenatal Exposure ◽  
Precocious Puberty ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Is in utero exposure to mercury associated with the risk of precocious puberty? SUMMARY ANSWER Prenatal exposure to high levels of mercury was associated with increased risk of precocious puberty, which was strengthened by concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions and adverse birth outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The developing fetus is sensitive to mercury, a well-known endocrine disruptor which impacts the endocrine and reproductive system. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study included 1512 mother–child pairs from the Boston Birth Cohort, a longitudinal cohort which recruited at birth and followed prospectively up to 21 years of age. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Mother–child pairs, from a predominantly urban minority population, were enrolled from 2002 to 2013. Prenatal exposure was assessed by maternal mercury concentration in red blood cells (RBCs) collected at 1–3 days after delivery. Precocious puberty was defined based on International Classification of Disease codes. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to the association between maternal mercury concentrations and the risk of precocious puberty. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The median (interquartile range) of maternal mercury concentrations among children with and without precocious puberty were 3.4 (1.9–4.6) µg/l and 2.0 (1.0–3.7) µg/l, respectively. Compared to those in the lowest tertile for mercury, the highest tertile was associated with increased risk of precocious puberty, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.41, 95% CI: 1.16–5.03. In addition, concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions and adverse birth outcomes strengthened the effects of mercury on the risk of precocious puberty. The highest risk of precocious puberty was observed among children who had adverse birth outcomes and whose mothers had high RBC-mercury concentrations along with cardiometabolic conditions, with an HR of 4.76 (95% CI: 1.66–13.60) compared to children with favorable profiles of all three risk factors. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Precocious puberty was defined based on medical records, not on a direct assessment, which may have led to underdiagnosis and the inability to make a subclassification. The study included a predominately urban, low-income, minority population and as such our findings may not be widely generalizable. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Prenatal Hg exposure was associated with an increased risk of precocious puberty. This risk was strengthened by concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by the NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

scholarly journals Polydrug Use During Pregnancy and Preterm Birth in a Low-Income, Multiethnic Birth Cohort, Boston, 1998-2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-392
Author(s):  
Henri M. Garrison-Desany ◽  
Nobutoshi Nawa ◽  
Yoona Kim ◽  
Yuelong Ji ◽  
Hsing-Yuan (Susan) Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Preterm Delivery ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Polydrug Use ◽  
Stimulant Drugs ◽  
Increased Risk

Objective The opioid epidemic in the United States increasingly affects women of reproductive age and has resulted in a rise in concurrent polydrug use. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of this polydrug use on preterm birth in a multiethnic birth cohort. Methods We analyzed data from 8261 mothers enrolled in the Boston Birth Cohort from 1998 to 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. We grouped substances used during pregnancy based on their primary effects (stimulant or depressant) and assessed independent and combined associations with smoking on preterm birth. Results Of 8261 mothers, 131 used stimulant drugs and 193 used depressant drugs during pregnancy. The preterm birth rate was 27.5% (2271 of 8261) in the sample. Mothers who smoked had 35% increased odds of preterm birth across adjusted models. Mothers who used stimulant drugs without smoking were not at increased risk of preterm delivery compared with mothers who used neither (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-1.98), whereas mothers who used depressant drugs without smoking had more than twice the odds of having preterm delivery (OR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.19-4.44), and infants were at risk of a 1-week reduction in gestational age (OR = −1.05; 95% CI, −2.07 to −0.03). Concurrently smoking and using depressant drugs was associated with increased odds of preterm birth (OR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.28-2.61), as was concurrently smoking and using stimulant drugs (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.14-2.59). Conclusions Using stimulant drugs and depressant drugs during pregnancy is a risk factor for preterm birth. The individual and combined effects of using these drugs with smoking must be considered together to reduce the risk of preterm birth in the United States.

scholarly journals Association of in Utero Antibiotic Exposure With Childhood Ear Infection Trajectories: A National Birth Cohort Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Jessika Hu ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Joseph Irvin Harwell ◽  
Melissa Wake
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Latent Class Models ◽  
Antibiotic Exposure ◽  
Ear Infection ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract BackgroundMost prescribed medicines during pregnancy are antibiotics, with unknown effects on a foetus and on the infant’s acquired microbiome. This study investigates associations between in utero antibiotic exposure and ear infection trajectories over the first decade of life, hypothesising effects on early or persistent, rather than later-developing, ear infections.MethodsDesign & Participants: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) birth cohort recruited a nationally-representative sample of 5107 infants in 2004. Measures: Mothers reported antibiotic use in pregnancy when a child was 3-21 months old (wave 1), and ongoing problems with ear infection every 2 years spanning ages 0-1 to 10-11 years (waves 1 to 6). Analysis: Latent class models identified ear infection trajectories, and univariable and multivariable multinomial logistic regression determined odds of adverse trajectories by antibiotic exposure. Results4500 (88.1% of original sample) children contributed (mean baseline age 0.7 years; 51.3% boys); 10.4% of mothers reported antibiotic use in pregnancy. Four probability trajectories for ear infection emerged: “consistently low” (86.2%), “moderate to low” (5.6%), “low to moderate” (6.7%) and “consistently high” (1.4%). Antibiotic use in pregnancy was associated with children following “consistently high” (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.91, p=0.03) and “moderate to low” (aOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.53, p=0.001) trajectories.ConclusionsAntibiotic use in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of persistent and early childhood ear infections. This highlights the wisdom of cautious antibiotic use during pregnancy, and the need for study of potential mechanisms underlying these associations.

scholarly journals Magnitude and Chronicity of Environmental Smoke Exposure Across Infancy and Early Childhood in a Sample of Low-Income Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 1665-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M Gatzke-Kopp ◽  
Michael T Willoughby ◽  
Siri M Warkentien ◽  
Thomas O’Connor ◽  
Douglas A Granger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Day Care ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Contextual Risk ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Free Environment

Abstract Introduction Infants and young children may be at an increased risk for second- and thirdhand exposure to tobacco smoke because of increased respiration rate and exposure to surface residue. However, relatively fewer studies have examined biomarkers of exposure (cotinine) in children under age 4 years. This study examines the magnitude and chronicity of exposure across early childhood among children from low-income families in order to better characterize contextual risk factors associated with exposure. Methods A total of 1292 families were recruited in six nonurban counties of Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Cotinine was assayed from infant saliva at 6, 15, 24, and 48 months of age (N = 1218), and categorized as low (≤0.45 ng/mL), moderate (0.46–12 ng/mL), or high (≥12 ng/mL) at each time point. Categories were highly correlated across time. Latent class analysis was used to summarize patterns of exposure categories across time. Results Magnitude of exposure in this sample was high, with approximately 12% of infants registering cotinine values at least 12 ng/mL, consistent with active smoking in adults. Greater exposure was associated with lower income, less education, more residential instability, and more instability in adult occupants in the home, whereas time spent in center-based day care was associated with lower exposure. Conclusions Young children from low-income, nonurban communities appear to bear a higher burden of secondhand smoke exposure than previous studies have reported. Results contribute to understanding populations at greater risk, as well as specific, potentially malleable, environmental factors that may be examined as direct contributors to exposure. Implications Results suggest that infants from low-income, nonurban families have higher risk for environmental smoke exposure than data from nationally representative samples. Predictors of exposure offer insights into specific factors that may be targeted for risk reduction efforts, specifically conditions of children’s physical space. In addition to considering the increases in risk when an adult smoker lives in a child’s home, families should also attend to the possible risk embedded within the home itself, such as residual smoke from previous occupants. For high-risk children, day care appears to mitigate the magnitude of exposure by providing extended time in a smoke-free environment.

scholarly journals Enteric dysfunction and other factors associated with attained size at 5 years: MAL-ED birth cohort study findings

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A Richard ◽  
Benjamin J J McCormick ◽  
Laura E Murray-Kolb ◽  
Gwyneth O Lee ◽  
Jessica C Seidman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Bacterial Density ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Poor Growth ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Z Scores

ABSTRACT Background Poor growth in early childhood has been associated with increased risk of mortality and morbidity, as well as long-term deficits in cognitive development and economic productivity. Objectives Data from the MAL-ED cohort study were used to identify factors in the first 2 y of life that are associated with height-for-age, weight-for-age, and body mass index z-scores (HAZ, WAZ, BMIZ) at 5 y of age. Methods A total of 1017 children were followed from near birth until 5 y of age at sites in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, and Tanzania. Data were collected on their growth, environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), micronutrient status, enteric pathogen burden, illness prevalence, dietary intake, and various other socio-economic and environmental factors. Results EED biomarkers were related to size at 5 y. Mean lactulose:mannitol z-scores during the first 2 y of life were negatively associated with all of the growth measures (HAZ: −0.11 [95% CI: −0.19, −0.03]; WAZ: −0.16 [95% CI: −0.26, −0.06]; BMIZ: −0.11 [95% CI: −0.23, 0.0]). Myeloperoxidase was negatively associated with weight (WAZ: −0.52 [95% CI: −0.78, −0.26] and BMIZ: −0.56 [95% CI: −0.86, −0.26]); whereas α-1-antitrypsin had a negative association with HAZ (−0.28 [95% CI: −0.52, −0.04]). Transferrin receptor was positively related to HAZ (0.18 [95% CI: 0.06, 0.30]) and WAZ (0.21 [95% CI: 0.07, 0.35]). Hemoglobin was positively related to HAZ (0.06 [95% CI: 0.00, 0.12]), and ferritin was negatively related to HAZ (−0.08 [95% CI: −0.12, −0.04]). Bacterial density in stool was negatively associated with HAZ (−0.04 [95% CI: −0.08, 0.00]), but illness symptoms did not have any effect on size at 5 y. Conclusions EED markers, bacterial density, and iron markers are associated with growth at 5 y of age. Interventions to reduce bacterial burden and EED may improve long-term growth in low-income settings.

scholarly journals Association of Maternal Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy and Offspring Weight Status across Infancy: Results from a Prospective Birth Cohort in China

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2040
Author(s):  
Jiajin Hu ◽  
Izzuddin M. Aris ◽  
Pi-I D. Lin ◽  
Ningyu Wan ◽  
Yilin Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Maternal Diet ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Food Diaries ◽  
Protein Rich

Literature on maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and offspring weight status have been largely equivocal. We aimed to investigate the association of maternal dietary patterns with infant weight status among 937 mother–infant dyads in a Chinese birth cohort. We assessed maternal diet during pregnancy using food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) and three-day food diaries (TFD) and examined infants’ body weight and length at birth, 1, 3, 6, 8 and 12 months. Maternal adherence to the “protein-rich pattern (FFQ)” was associated with lower infant body mass index z-scores (BMIZ) at birth, 3 and 6 months and lower odds of overweight and obesity (OwOb) across infancy (quartile 3 (Q3) vs. quartile 1 (Q1): odds ratio (OR): 0.50, (95% confidence interval: 0.27, 0.93)). Maternal adherence to the “vegetable–fruit–rice pattern (FFQ)” was associated with higher BMIZ at birth, 3 and 6 months and higher odds of OwOb across infancy (Q3 vs. Q1: OR: 1.79, (1.03, 3.12)). Maternal adherence to the “fried food–bean–dairy pattern (TFD)” was associated with lower BMIZ at 3, 6, 8 and 12 months and lower odds of OwOb (Q3 vs. Q1: OR: 0.54, (0.31, 0.95)). The study results may help to develop interventions and to better define target populations for childhood obesity prevention.

scholarly journals Child diet and health outcomes of the simple suppers program: a 10-week, 2-group quasi-experimental family meals trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Gunther ◽  
Catherine Rogers ◽  
Christopher Holloman ◽  
Laura C. Hopkins ◽  
Sarah E. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Family Meals ◽  
Food Preparation ◽  
Tv Viewing ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Low Income Households

Abstract Background Racial minority children, particularly from low-income households, are at risk for obesity. Family meals have a protective effect on child nutritional health. However, the current evidence is limited in racial and socioeconomic diversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a family meals intervention, Simple Suppers, on improvements in diet and health outcomes from baseline (T0) to post-intervention (T1) in intervention compared to waitlist control participants, and determine retention of change in outcomes among intervention participants at 10-week follow-up (T2). Methods Simple Suppers was a 10-week family meals intervention implemented as a 2-group quasi-experimental trial. Ten 90-min lessons were delivered weekly. Data were collected at T0 and T1, and from intervention participants at T2. Participants were racially diverse 4–10 year-old children from low-income households. Setting was a faith-based community center. Main outcomes were daily servings of fruit, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages and diet quality; z-scores for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP); weight status categories; food preparation skills; and family meals (frequency of dinner, breakfast, TV viewing during meals, meals in dining area). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and mixed-effects ordinal regression models were used to assess intervention impact (T0:T1). Paired t-tests examined retention of change among intervention participants (T1:T2). Results One hundred forty children enrolled and 126 completed T1 (90% retention); 71 of 87 intervention participants completed T2(79% retention). Mean (SD) age was 6.9(1.9) yr, 62% female, 60% Black, and 42% low-income. Intervention vs waitlist controls had higher food preparation skills (p < 0.001) and lower TV viewing during meals (p = 0.04) at T1.There were no group differences in dietary intake or quality or z-scores for BMI, waist circumference, or BP, however intervention versus waitlist controls experienced a greater change toward healthy weight (p = 0.04) At T2, intervention participants demonstrated a retention of improved food preparation skills. Conclusions Simple Suppers led to improvements in children’s weight status, food preparation skills, and TV viewing during meals, but not diet or z-scores for BMI, waist circumference, or BP. Future research should examine the preventive effects of healthy family mealtime routines in children at greatest risk for obesity. Trial registration NCT02923050; Simple Suppers Scale-up (S3); Retrospectively registered on Oct 2016; First participant enrolled on Jan 2015.

scholarly journals Having less and wanting more: an investigation of socioeconomic status and reinforcement pathology

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda K. Crandall ◽  
Amanda M. Ziegler ◽  
Tegan Mansouri ◽  
Jalen Matteson ◽  
Emily Isenhart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Income Parent

Abstract Background In the United states obesity and socioeconomic status (SES), or one’s standing in society based on income, education, and/or occupation, are strongly associated. The mechanisms for this relationship may include having high levels of motivation to get food (reinforcing value of food; RRV) and low levels of inhibitory control (delay discounting; DD) which, when combined, is referred to as reinforcement pathology (RP). We sought to examine the relationships among multiple measures of household SES, RP, and age-adjusted body mass index (zBMI) among adolescents. Methods These data were collected as part of ongoing longitudinal study of risk factors for obesity in 244 adolescents. The adolescents and one parent/guardian had height and weight measured and completed surveys. The adolescents completed an adjusting amount DD task and a computer-based RRV task. Analyses consisted of correlations among measures of SES and RRV, DD, and BMI z-scores. In the case of significant associations, multiple regression models were created with theoretically informed covariates. Results Household income, parent/guardian education, parent/guardian occupation, and food insecurity status were all related to one another. Among the adolescents, a significant portion of the variance in RRV was accounted for by household income after controlling for covariates. For DD, it was parent/guardian education that was most associated after controlling for covariates. Conclusion When low income and low parent/guardian education occur together, there may be an increased risk of RP. Separately, food insecurity was predictive of higher parent/guardian BMI. Future research should continue to explore the effects of low income and parent/guardian education on RP among youth by examining them over time.

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