Prepubertal start of father's smoking and increased body fat in his sons: further characterisation of paternal transgenerational responses.

ABSTRACT: Despite interest in the idea that transgenerational effects of adverse exposures might contribute to population health trends, there are few human data. This non-genetic inheritance is all the more remarkable when transmission is down the male-line as reported in a historical Swedish study, where the paternal grandfather's food supply in mid childhood was associated with the mortality rate in his grandsons. Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children's questionnaire data on smoking and smoking onset from 9886 fathers, we examined the growth of their children from 7-17 years. Adjusting for potential confounders, we assessed associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, total fat mass and lean mass with the age at which the father had started smoking regularl

SUBMITTER: Northstone K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4085023 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature