Lifecourse Socioeconomic Position and Racial Disparities in BMI Trajectories among Black and White Women: Exploring Cohort Effects in the Americans Changing Lives' Study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Few studies have analyzed the cohort effects of lifecourse socioeconomic position (SEP) on racial disparities in body mass index (BMI) trajectories. We assessed the contribution of lifecourse SEP on racial differences in BMI trajectories among two different age cohorts of women.

Methods

Four waves of the Americans' Changing Lives' study (1986-2002) were used to compute BMI trajectories for 2194 Black and White women. Multivariable associations of lifecourse SEP variables (father's education, perceived childhood family status, education, income, wealth and financial security) with Wave 1(W1) BMI and BMI change were assessed using mixed models.

Results

Black women had higher W1 BMI than White women in both cohorts (women <40 years in 1986 (+2.6 kg/m^2</

SUBMITTER: Insaf TZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4262791 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature