examination of the behavioral contexts affecting obesity development from adolescence to young adulthood using latent class analysis

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20274326

Previous research suggests that nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and social/emotional climate influence weight gain, but few empirical studies have examined their effects jointly. Using individuals who were obese during the 4th wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) (N=1,889, ages 24-32), this study applied latent class analysis (LCA) to identify subgroups of adolescents (wave 1, ages 14-17), and separately, subgroups of young adults (wave 2, ages 18-26), who exhibit unique, co-occurring behavioral risk contexts for obesity. We found 6 distinct classes during both adolescence and young adulthood, but although the number of classes was similar, the classes themselves differed. Specifically, classes during adolescence were comprised of fewer risk factors compared to adulthood suggesting behavioral factors build over time. Covariates (sex, SES, race, health, and individual education level) differentiated between class membership (i.e., females and minorities were more likely to be in groups characterized by depression). This information can help researchers study weight gain and maintenance longitudinally and identify individuals with co-occurring risk factors for obesity.