Parental Influence on the Development of Obesity in 9-year-old Japanese Children: the Toyama Birth Cohort Study

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To examine parental influence on the development of obesity in 9-year-old Japanese children. Methods: A 6-year follow-up study of obesity among 6,102 children born in Toyama prefecture. Results: After adjusting for obesity at age 3, either paternal obesity or maternal obesity at the age 3 survey more than doubled the risk of obesity at age 9 in both genders. Increases in parental body mass indexes (BMIs) from the age 3 survey through the age 9 survey were significantly associated with obesity at age 9 in girls. Conclusions: Not only parental obesity but also increases in parental BMIs were likely to be associated with development of obesity in children.