(Press-News.org) Boys may be especially prone to excess weight gain, the findings indicate.
The researchers base their findings on a nationally representative sample of more than 3000 pupils attending 127 schools across Norway. All the children were part of the national 2010 Norwegian Child Growth Study.
School nurses measured the height, weight, and waist circumference of the children whose average age was 8, to gauge general overweight, as defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and (abdominal) obesity, as defined by a waist to height ratio of 0.5 or more.
The results were stratified by gender and parents' marital status - married, never married, to include co-habiting, single and separated, and divorced - taking account of influential factors, such as the mother's educational attainment, ethnic origin and area of residence.
Around one in five (19%) of the children was overweight or obese according to the IOTF definition, while just under one in 10 (8.9%) was (abdominally) obese.
Overall, significantly more of the 1537 girls were overweight or obese than the 1629 boys, but there were no differences in the prevalence of (abdominal) obesity.
More of the children whose parents were categorised as divorced were overweight or obese than those whose parents remained married.
They were 54% more likely to be overweight/obese and 89% more likely to be (abdominally) obese. Children whose parents had never married had a similar prevalence of overweight and obesity to those with married parents.
The findings held true even after taking account of other possible explanatory factors.
But these differences were generally larger for boys whose parents were divorced. They were 63% more likely to be generally overweight/obese than boys whose parents were married. And they were 104% more likely to be abdominally obese.
The absolute differences were 9.9 and 7.4 percentage points, respectively.
The same pattern was seen among girls, but the associations were less marked and, unlike the boys, not statistically significant.
The authors caution that the design of their study does not provide a basis for establishing cause and effect. Furthermore, they were unable to glean how long parents had been divorced, nor were they able to include lifestyle factors such as the children's normal diet and exercise regime.
But the associations they found are consistent with findings from other studies they say.
Possible explanations for the link could include less time spent on domestic tasks such as cooking; an over-reliance on unhealthier convenience foods and ready meals; and lower household income.
The emotional fall-out of a divorce and resulting stress generated by disruptions in the parent-child relationship, ongoing conflict between the exes, moving home and the need to create new social networks, might also explain the findings, the authors suggest. And boys might just be more vulnerable, they say.
INFORMATION: END
Divorce may be linked to higher risk of overweight/obesity among kids involved
Boys may be especially prone to excess weight gain
2014-06-05
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Air pollution linked to irregular heartbeat and lung blood clots
2014-06-05
But its impact on directly boosting the risk of heart attacks and stroke is rather less clear, the research indicates.
The evidence suggests that high levels of certain air pollutants are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, but exactly how this association works has not been clarified.
The research team therefore set out to explore the short term biological impact of air pollution on cardiovascular disease, using data from three national collections in England and Wales for the period 2003-9.
These were the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit ...
Faster DNA sleuthing saves critically ill boy
2014-06-05
A 14-year-old boy's turnaround and quick recovery after mysteriously being stricken by brain-inflaming encephalitis -- which led to him being hospitalized for six weeks and put into a medically induced coma after falling critically ill -- shows that the newest generation of DNA analysis tools can be harnessed to reveal the cause of a life-threatening infection even when physicians have no suspects.
The quick diagnosis and successful treatment of the adolescent just 48 hours after cerebrospinal spinal fluid and blood were received for analysis portends the broader application ...
Poor health, lifestyle factors linked to memory complaints, even among younger adults
2014-06-05
If you're depressed, don't get enough exercise or have high blood pressure, you may find yourself complaining more about memory problems, even if you're a young adult, according to a new UCLA study.
UCLA researchers and the Gallup organization polled more than 18,000 people about their memory and a variety of lifestyle and health factors previously shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. They found that many of these risk factors increased the likelihood of self-perceived memory complaints across all adult age groups.
The findings, published ...
Drug trial shows promise for treating constipation caused by pain medicines
2014-06-05
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Pain medicines often lead to constipation for patients seeking long-term pain relief, but an investigational once-daily drug may help, according to study led by the University of Michigan Health System.
Globally, approximately 28 million to 35 million, or nearly half, of patients taking opioids for long-term pain develop constipation. Laxatives provide sub-optimal relief.
The results of two pivotal Phase 3 studies – KODIAC-4 and KODIAC-5 of naloxegol, an investigational treatment for opioid-induced constipation (OIC) – were published online first ...
Dad's alcohol consumption could influence sons' drinking, Pitt study finds
2014-06-05
PITTSBURGH, June 4, 2014 – Even before conception, a son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by a father who chronically drinks to excess, according to a new animal study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published online Wednesday in PLOS ONE, show male mice that were chronically exposed to alcohol before breeding had male offspring that were less likely to consume alcohol and were more sensitive to its effects, providing new insight into inheritance and development of drinking behaviors.
Previous human studies ...
New antibiotic proven effective to treat acute bacterial skin infections
2014-06-05
BOSTON (June 4) − A study published in today's New England Journal of Medicine reports that the antibiotic dalbavancin is as effective as vancomycin, the current standard-of-care antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial skin and skin-structure infections. The study results establish dalbavancin as a therapy for Staphylococcus aureus infections, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA. Acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections are among the most common reasons for the hospitalization of adults in the United States today, and the associated medical ...
Mechanism of cell death unraveled -- perspectives for treating inflammatory diseases
2014-06-05
Researchers at VIB and Ghent University have unraveled the mechanism of necroptosis. This is a type of cell death that plays a crucial role in numerous diseases, from viral infections and loss of auditory nerve cells to multiple sclerosis, acute heart failure and organ transplantation. Having detailed knowledge of the cell death process enables a targeted search for new drugs.
Peter Vandenabeele (VIB/UGent): "The molecular mechanism of necroptosis was a complete mystery for a long time. Cells explode. But exactly how they do this was unclear. Now we have found that cells ...
Brain protein may explain depression in pre-menopausal women
2014-06-04
June 4, 2014 (Toronto) – Women nearing menopause have higher levels of a brain protein linked to depression than both younger and menopausal women, a new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows.
This finding may explain the high rates of first-time depression seen among women in this transitional stage of life, known as perimenopause.
"This is the first time that a biological change in the brain has been identified in perimenopause which is also associated with clinical depression," says Senior Scientist Dr. Jeffrey Meyer of CAMH's Campbell ...
Weight gain following antidepressant use examined
2014-06-04
Bottom Line: Modest differences exist between antidepressants with regard to weight gain among patients.
Authors: Sarah R. Blumenthal, B.S., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues.
Background: Previous work has suggested an association between antidepressant use and weight gain. The potential health consequences could be significant because more than 10 percent of Americans are prescribed an antidepressant at any given time. Obesity is associated with a host of medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. ...
Deppression with atypical features associated with obesity
2014-06-04
Bottom Line: Major depressive disorder (MDD) with atypical features (including mood reactivity where people can feel better when positive things happen in life, increased appetite or weight gain) appears to be associated with obesity.
Authors: Aurélie M. Lasserre, M.D., of Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland, and colleagues.
Background: MDD has tremendous public health impact worldwide. Obesity is another burden for public health. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the association between MDD and obesity is important.
How the Study Was Conducted: The ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project
[Press-News.org] Divorce may be linked to higher risk of overweight/obesity among kids involvedBoys may be especially prone to excess weight gain