Abstract
Background: Few studies have assessed intergenerational associations of obesity and cardiovascular disease risks from parents to their children among Hispanic Americans. Objectives: To assess intergenerational cardiovascular associations among Hispanic families. Methods: Using baseline data from an obesity-focused efficacy trial targeting Hispanic adolescents (n = 280) and their parents, we conducted a series of logistic regression analyses to investigate the effects of parental BMI and blood pressure on adolescents' BMI and blood pressure, respectively. Results: After adjusting for significant socio-demographic variables and adolescents' lifestyle behaviours, adolescents were more than twice as likely to be in the severely obese versus overweight range when their parents had obesity (vs. non-obese; OR = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.20, 5.39) and more than twice as likely to be in the severely obese versus obese weight range (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.22, 4.87) when their parents had obesity. When compared to those with normal blood pressure, adolescents who had parents with elevated blood pressure/hypertension were more than twice as likely to have elevated blood pressure (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.04, 4.00) or be classified as hypertensive stage 1/2 (OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.31, 6.01). Conclusions: Both severe obesity and elevated blood pressure are highly associated among Hispanic parent–child dyads. Findings underscore the potential benefits of intervening with the family system. © 2021 World Obesity Federation
