The impact of familial , behavioural and psychosocial factors on the SES gradient for 1 childhood overweight in Europe

41 BACKGROUND: In highly developed countries, childhood overweight as well as many 42 overweight-related risk factors are negatively associated with socioeconomic status (SES). 43 OBJECTIVE: To investigate the longitudinal association between parental SES and childhood 44 overweight, and to clarify whether familial, psychosocial or behavioural factors can explain 45 any SES gradient. 46 METHODS: The IDEFICS baseline and follow-up surveys are used to investigate the 47 longitudinal association between SES, familial, psychosocial and behavioural factors, and the 48 prevalence of childhood overweight. 5,819 children (50.5 % boys, 49.5 % girls) were 49 included. 50 RESULTS: The risk for being overweight after two years at follow-up in children who were 51 non-overweight at baseline increases with a lower SES. For children who were initially 52 overweight a lower parental SES carries a lower probability for a non-overweight weight 53 status at follow-up. The effect of parental SES is only moderately attenuated by single 54 familial, psychosocial or behavioural factors; however, it can be fully explained by their 55 combined effect. Most influential of the investigated risk factors were feeding / eating 56 practices, parental BMI, physical activity behaviour, and proportion of sedentary activity. 57 CONCLUSION: Prevention strategies for childhood overweight should focus on actual 58 behaviours while acknowledging that these behaviours are more prevalent in lower SES 59 families. 60 61 62 63 64