Associations Between Parental and Child Overweight and Obesity

Results of the analysis showed that parents and children overweight/obesity were significantly correlated. The sample includes 318 pairs of mothers and children, and 336 pairs of fathers and children at the age 11.3±0.4 years in Trogir, Croatia. Child overweight and obesity were defined according to body mass index (BMI) 25 and 30 equivalents (kg/m2). The prevalence of total overweight in girls was 25.6% and among boys was 20.5%. Mother’s weight (p=0.003) and BMI (p=0.006) were greater in obese than in other groups of children. Overweight/obese children were more often found among overweight/obese mothers (p=0.009) and fathers (p=0.039). Correlation between overweight/obese children and their father (odds ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.5–6.8) was stronger than between overweight/obese children and their mothers (odds ratio 2.2, 95% CI 1.2–3.9). Associations with mothers’ and daughters’ overweight/obesity were stronger (p=0.017) than mothers’ and sons’ (p=0.12). Correlations between children’s BMI and fathers’ BMI (r=0.265, p