Table 1.

Univariable Analyses of Factors Associated with Child Obesity in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Birth Cohort Data

Risk FactorsnPopulation %% Overweight or Obese (95% CI)Odds Ratio (95% CI)
Categorical variables
Socioeconomic status (P < .0001)
    Quintile 1 (lowest)126319.9144.94 (40.47–49.41)REF
    Quintile 2126519.8837.24 (33.57–40.90)0.73 (0.57–0.92)
    Quintile 3128819.9636.43 (32.23–40.63)0.70 (0.55–0.90)
    Quintile 4133220.2035.41 (31.92–38.91)0.67 (0.53–0.86)
    Quintile 5 (highest)162220.0627.09 (24.26–29.91)0.46 (0.37–0.56)
Food security (P = .043)
    Food secure603489.7135.45 (33.82–37.07)0.61 (0.38–0.98)
    Food insecure without hunger5478.0340.98 (34.96–47.00)0.77 (0.68–1.27)
    Food insecure with hunger1712.2647.39 (35.47–59.30)REF
Parents who reside in household (P = .0078)
    Biological mother and biological father470568.9634.61 (32.73–36.49)0.80 (0.68–0.94)
    Other household composition206531.0439.75 (36.53–42.97)REF
Race/ethnicity (P < .0001)
    White276753.8031.35 (29.03–33.66)REF
    Black105613.8840.32 (35.62–45.02)1.48 (1.18–1.86)
    Hispanic135925.1243.47 (39.76–47.18)1.68 (1.39–2.04)
    Asian7652.6228.69 (22.82–34.57)0.88 (0.67–1.16)
    Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Alaska, or American Indian2510.6548.44 (36.96–59.92)2.06 (1.28–3.30)
    Other race (includes more than one race)5603.9443.39 (36.77–50.00)1.70 (1.26–2.24)
Child's sex (P = .28)
    Female334849.0637.12 (35.13–39.10)1.08 (0.94–1.25)
    Male342250.9435.26 (32.63–37.89)REF
Child was put to bed with bottle (P = .014)
    Yes208929.6939.48 (36.12–42.84)1.22 (1.04–1.43)
    No467570.3134.80 (33.03–36.57)REF
Parental rule about which kinds of food child can eat (P = .0039)
    Yes514276.7734.74 (32.98–36.51)0.77 (0.64–0.92)
    No162723.2340.94(37.12–44.76)REF
Current smoking (P = .0033)
    Yes130319.5641.43 (37.36–45.49)1.32 (1.10–1.60)
    No546280.4434.89 (33.14–36.64)REF
Amount of soda consumed by child (P = .034)
    More than 7 per week183926.9939.23 (36.21–42.26)1.03 (0.87–1.20)
    Less than 6 time per week301944.0835.12 (32.97–37.28)1.22 (1.03–1.45)
    Never190328.9334.56 (31.54–37.58)REF
Mother's hours work/week (P = .48)0.4827
    35 hours or more per week297142.9337.55 (35.20–39.90)1.13 (0.95–1.35)
    Less than 35 hours per week125719.1334.99 (31.02–38.96)1.02 (0.83–1.24)
    Looking for work3585.6835.72 (28.24–43.21)1.05 (0.75–1.64)
    Not in the labor force207132.2734.66 (31.89–37.44)REF
Parental rule about television watching (P = .041)
    Yes627493.8235.77 (34.09–37.45)0.73 (0.55–0.99)
    No4666.1843.16 (36.18–50.14)REF
Neighborhood safety (P = .0005)
    Very safe401259.4033.71 (31.77–35.66)0.55 (0.33–0.91)
    Fairly safe236334.6038.83 (35.83–41.82)0.68 (0.41–1.15)
    Very unsafe1154.3045.32 (37.07–53.57)0.89 (0.48–1.65)
    Refuse931.7048.16 (35.15–61.16)REF
Overall population36.31 (34.62–37.79)
Risk FactorsOverweight/Obese (95% CI) N = 2246Nonoverweight/Obese (95% CI) N = 4572P Value
Continuous variables
Birth weight (grams)3436.0 (3405.9–3466.1)3248.4 (3224.0–3272.9)<.0001
Hours TV watched per weekday2.01 (1.92–2.10)1.86 (1.79–1.93).0045
Days per week eat as a family5.49 (5.38–5.59)5.66 (5.58–5.74).046
Parent days per week exercises for 30 minutes1.75 (1.61–1.90)1.94 (1.83–2.06).047
  • Boldface indicates statistical significance (P < .05).

  • CI, confidential interval; REF, Reference category for odd ratios.