Jason E Murasko1. 1. Department of Economics, University of Houston - Clear Lake , Houston, TX , USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies report positive associations between household income and height in childhood and negative associations between income and body mass index (BMI). No study has evaluated concurrent associations in early-life. AIM: To evaluate the association between household income and anthropometric development in early-life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) is a representative sample of US children born in 2001 and followed from ~9 months through 5 years. A generalized linear mixed modelling framework estimates income associations to the levels and velocities of height and BMI. RESULTS: A doubling of permanent income is associated with an ~0.26 cm height advantage over the ages of the sample and an approximate 0.11 cm/year faster velocity at 9 months. All race-sex sub-groups show some positive association between income and height. Income shows little association to BMI at 9 months but by 5 years a doubling of income is associated with a 0.25 kg/m(2) lower BMI. This is suggested to derive from a lower BMI velocity associated with higher income. The BMI relationships are generally reflective of white and Hispanic children. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that associations between income and anthropometric development in US children have origins in early-life.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies report positive associations between household income and height in childhood and negative associations between income and body mass index (BMI). No study has evaluated concurrent associations in early-life. AIM: To evaluate the association between household income and anthropometric development in early-life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) is a representative sample of US children born in 2001 and followed from ~9 months through 5 years. A generalized linear mixed modelling framework estimates income associations to the levels and velocities of height and BMI. RESULTS: A doubling of permanent income is associated with an ~0.26 cm height advantage over the ages of the sample and an approximate 0.11 cm/year faster velocity at 9 months. All race-sex sub-groups show some positive association between income and height. Income shows little association to BMI at 9 months but by 5 years a doubling of income is associated with a 0.25 kg/m(2) lower BMI. This is suggested to derive from a lower BMI velocity associated with higher income. The BMI relationships are generally reflective of white and Hispanic children. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that associations between income and anthropometric development in US children have origins in early-life.
Authors: Ann Von Holle; Kari E North; Sheila Gahagan; Raquel A Burrows; Estela Blanco; Betsy Lozoff; Annie Green Howard; Anne Justice; Misa Graff; Venkata Saroja Voruganti Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2020-06-03 Impact factor: 2.692