scholarly journals Unequal Protective Effects of Parental Educational Attainment on the Body Mass Index of Black and White Youth

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assari ◽  
Boyce ◽  
Bazargan ◽  
Mincy ◽  
Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
White Youth ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background: Parental educational attainment is shown to be protective against health problems; the Minorities’ Diminished Returns theory, however, posits that these protective effects tend to be smaller for socially marginalized groups particularly blacks than whites. Aims: To explore racial differences in the effect of parental educational attainment on body mass index (BMI) in a national sample of US adolescents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of 10,701 (8678 white and 2023 black) 12–17 years old adolescents in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH; 2013). Parental educational attainment was the predictor. Youth BMI (based on self-reported weight and height) was the dependent variable. Age, gender, ethnicity, and family structure were covariates. Race was the focal moderator. Results: Overall, higher parental educational attainment was associated with lower youth BMI. Race, however, moderated the effect of parental educational attainment on BMI, suggesting that the protective effect of parenting educational attainment on BMI is significantly smaller for black than white youth. Conclusions: In the United States, race alters the health gains that are expected to follow parental educational attainment. While white youth who are from highly educated families are fit, black youth have high BMI at all levels of parental educational attainment. This means, while the most socially privileged group, whites, gain the most health from their parental education, blacks, the least privileged group, gain the least. Economic, social, public, and health policymakers should be aware that health disparities are not all due to lower socioeconomic status (SES) of the disadvantaged group but also diminished returns of SES resources for them. Black–white health disparities exist across all high socioeconomic status (SES) levels.

scholarly journals Parental Educational Attainment and Chronic Medical Conditions among American Youth; Minorities’ Diminished Returns

Children ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
Cleopatra Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronic Medical Conditions ◽  
Medical Conditions ◽  
White Youth ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background: Parental educational attainment is protective against chronic medical conditions (CMCs). According to the minorities’ diminished returns (MDRs) theory, however, the health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators are smaller for socially marginalized groups such as racial and ethnic minorities rather than Whites. Aims: To explore racial and ethnic differences in the effect of parental educational attainment on CMCs in a nationally representative sample of American youth. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of 10,701 12–17 years old youth in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH; 2013). Parental educational attainment was the independent variable. The dependent variable was the number of CMCs in youth. Age, gender, and family structure were covariates. Race and ethnicity were the focal moderators. Linear and multinomial regression were applied to analyze the data. Results: Overall, higher parental educational attainment was associated with a lower number of CMCs. Race and ethnicity, however, showed significant interactions with parental educational attainment on a number of CMCs as well as 2+ CMCs, suggesting that the effect of parenting educational attainment on CMCs is significantly smaller for Black and Hispanic than White youth. Conclusions: In the United States, race and ethnicity alter the health gains that are expected to follow parental educational attainment. While White youth who are from highly educated families are most healthy, Black and Hispanic youth from highly educated families remain at higher risk for CMCs. That means, while the most socially privileged group, Whites, gain the most health from their parental education, Blacks and Hispanics, the least privileged groups, gain the least. The result is a disproportionately high number of CMCs in middle-class Blacks and Hispanics. Economic, social, public, and health policy makers should be aware that health disparities are not all due to lower SES of the disadvantaged group but also diminished returns of SES resources for them. Youth physical health disparities due to race and ethnicity exist across all SES levels.

scholarly journals Association between Body Mass Index, Dental Caries (DMFT& PUFA) And Socioeconomic Status in 12 to 15 Year Old School Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 283-290
Author(s):  
Pooja Chauhan ◽  
Ishani Sharma ◽  
Virat Galhotra ◽  
Himanshu Duhan ◽  
Manpreet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Dental Caries ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
School Children ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Untreated Dental Caries

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between body mass index, dental caries (DMFT), untreated dental caries (PUFA) and socioeconomic status in 12 to 15 year old school children. Material and methods: The study sample consisted of 800 children aged 12 to 15 years, who were selected from 8 schools located in the district-Panchkula (Haryana). Intraoral examination was done for assessment of dental caries by using DMFT index (WHO, 2013).The clinical manifestations of untreated dental caries were assessed visually by using the PUFA index (2010). Socioeconomic status of children was assessed by using Kuppuswami’s socioeconomic scale 2016. After one week, anthropometric measurements of children were taken to calculate the body mass index (BMI) of children. Results: Among 800 school children, 503 (62.9%) children had dental caries. The body mass index (BMI) of children was weakly correlated with DMFT (r=0.285) and PUFA (r=0.109) whereas average correlation was found between BMI and SES (r= 0.424). On applying chi-square test, a statistical significant correlation was found between BMI and DMFT (p<0.01), BMI and PUFA (p<0.01) and BMI and SES (p<0.01). SES of children was weakly correlated with DMFT (r= 0.216) but no correlation was found between SES and PUFA (r=0.052, p=0.145). Conclusion: The study concluded that a significant but weak positive correlation was seen between dental caries and BMI. A significantly positive correlation was found between PUFA and BMI. The severity of dental caries increased with increase in BMI. No correlation was found between PUFA and SES.

scholarly journals Family Socioeconomic Status and Exposure to Childhood Trauma: Racial Differences

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Polynomial Regression ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background: Minorities’ diminished returns (MDRs) refer to weaker effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental educational attainment and family income in generating tangible childhood outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities compared to the majority group, a pattern prevalent in the US. Our existing knowledge is minimal, however, about diminished returns of family SES on reducing exposure to childhood trauma. Aim: To determine if there was a difference between non-Hispanic whites (NHW) and non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) in the effect of SES on exposure to childhood trauma among children ages 8–11 years old. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 4696 NHW or NHB American 8–11-year-old children who were participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The independent variables were parental educational attainment and family income. The primary outcome was exposure to 1 or 2+ childhood traumas, measured by the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) semi-structured interview. Polynomial regression was used for data analysis. Results: Parental education and family income had statistically significant protective (negative) effects on childhood trauma, indicating children from high income and highly educated families were exposed to a lower level of childhood trauma. However, race/ethnicity showed statistically significant interactions with parental education and family income on exposure to childhood trauma, indicating weaker protective effects of parental education and family income on reducing exposure to trauma for NHB compared to NHW children. Race-specific models showed protective effects of parental education and family income on exposure to childhood trauma for NHW but not NHB children. Conclusion: The protective effects of parental education and family income against exposure to childhood trauma are systematically diminished for NHBs compared to NHWs. To minimize the racial/ethnic health gaps, diminished returns of parental education and family income should be addressed. There is a need for programs and interventions that equalize not only SES but also the marginal returns of SES for ethnic groups. Such efforts require addressing structural and societal barriers that hinder NHB families from translating their SES resources into tangible outcomes. There is a need for studies that can minimize MDRs for NHB families, such that SES can similarly secure tangible outcomes in the presence of SES resources.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document