Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort

Background: Childhood excess weight and family food insecurity are food-system related public health problems that exist in Canada. Since both relate to issues of food accessibility and availability, which have elements of “place”, they may share common risk factors in the local environment that ar...

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Main Author: Carter, Megan Ann
Language:en
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23801
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spelling ndltd-LACETR-oai-collectionscanada.gc.ca-OOU.#10393-238012014-06-14T03:49:57ZDo Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth CohortCarter, Megan Annsocial epidemiologyfood insecuritychildhood obesitylongitudinal studygroup-based trajectory modelingmixed models regressiongeneralized estimating equationssocial capitalresidential characteristicsBackground: Childhood excess weight and family food insecurity are food-system related public health problems that exist in Canada. Since both relate to issues of food accessibility and availability, which have elements of “place”, they may share common risk factors in the local environment that are amenable to intervention. In this area of research, the literature derives mostly from a US context, and there is a dearth of high quality evidence, specifically from longitudinal studies. Objectives: The main objectives of this thesis were to examine the adjusted associations between the place factors: material deprivation, social deprivation, social cohesion, disorder, and living location, with change in child BMI Z-score and with change in family food insecurity status in a Canadian cohort of children. Methods: The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development was used to meet the main objectives of this thesis. Response data from six collection cycles (4 – 10 years of age) were used in three main analyses. The first analysis examined change in child BMI Z-score as a function of the place factors using mixed models regression. The second analysis examined change in child BMI Z-score as a function of place factors using group-based trajectory modeling. The third and final analysis examined change in family food insecurity status as a function of the place factors using generalized estimating equations. Results: Social deprivation, social cohesion and disorder were strongly and positively associated with family food insecurity, increasing the odds by 45-76%. These place factors, on the other hand, were not consistently associated with child weight status. Material deprivation was not important for either outcome, except for a slight positive association in the mixed models analysis of child weight status. Living location was not important in explaining family food insecurity. On the other hand, it was associated with child weight status in both analyses, but the nature of the relationship is still unclear. Conclusions: Results do not suggest that addressing similar place factors may alleviate both child excess weight and family food insecurity. More high quality longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to clarify relationships between the local environment and child weight status and family food insecurity.2013-02-20T18:07:39Z2013-02-20T18:07:39Z20132013-02-20Thèse / Thesishttp://hdl.handle.net/10393/23801en
collection NDLTD
language en
sources NDLTD
topic social epidemiology
food insecurity
childhood obesity
longitudinal study
group-based trajectory modeling
mixed models regression
generalized estimating equations
social capital
residential characteristics
spellingShingle social epidemiology
food insecurity
childhood obesity
longitudinal study
group-based trajectory modeling
mixed models regression
generalized estimating equations
social capital
residential characteristics
Carter, Megan Ann
Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort
description Background: Childhood excess weight and family food insecurity are food-system related public health problems that exist in Canada. Since both relate to issues of food accessibility and availability, which have elements of “place”, they may share common risk factors in the local environment that are amenable to intervention. In this area of research, the literature derives mostly from a US context, and there is a dearth of high quality evidence, specifically from longitudinal studies. Objectives: The main objectives of this thesis were to examine the adjusted associations between the place factors: material deprivation, social deprivation, social cohesion, disorder, and living location, with change in child BMI Z-score and with change in family food insecurity status in a Canadian cohort of children. Methods: The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development was used to meet the main objectives of this thesis. Response data from six collection cycles (4 – 10 years of age) were used in three main analyses. The first analysis examined change in child BMI Z-score as a function of the place factors using mixed models regression. The second analysis examined change in child BMI Z-score as a function of place factors using group-based trajectory modeling. The third and final analysis examined change in family food insecurity status as a function of the place factors using generalized estimating equations. Results: Social deprivation, social cohesion and disorder were strongly and positively associated with family food insecurity, increasing the odds by 45-76%. These place factors, on the other hand, were not consistently associated with child weight status. Material deprivation was not important for either outcome, except for a slight positive association in the mixed models analysis of child weight status. Living location was not important in explaining family food insecurity. On the other hand, it was associated with child weight status in both analyses, but the nature of the relationship is still unclear. Conclusions: Results do not suggest that addressing similar place factors may alleviate both child excess weight and family food insecurity. More high quality longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to clarify relationships between the local environment and child weight status and family food insecurity.
author Carter, Megan Ann
author_facet Carter, Megan Ann
author_sort Carter, Megan Ann
title Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort
title_short Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort
title_full Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort
title_fullStr Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort
title_full_unstemmed Do Childhood Excess Weight and Family Food Insecurity Share Common Risk Factors in the Local Environment? An Examination Using a Quebec Birth Cohort
title_sort do childhood excess weight and family food insecurity share common risk factors in the local environment? an examination using a quebec birth cohort
publishDate 2013
url http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23801
work_keys_str_mv AT cartermeganann dochildhoodexcessweightandfamilyfoodinsecuritysharecommonriskfactorsinthelocalenvironmentanexaminationusingaquebecbirthcohort
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