Maternal depression and child weight: Early pathways

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Childhood overweight is one of the most important health issues of our times, given their burden to individual lives and society as a whole. It is possible that maternal depression has a significant impact at overweight in childhood. This application aims to examine the relationship between maternal depression and weight change during childhood and systematically investigate possible mechanisms explaining this relationship. We propose to conduct secondary data analysis of the Fragile Families (FF) Study and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten (ECLS-K), which collected longitudinal information about maternal depression and overweight in childhood in national samples of children. In the FF study, information is available from birth to three years (three waves) (estimated N=2,355) and in the ECLS-K, from pre-K to 5th grade (5 waves) (estimated N=8,818). Maternal depression was measured, in the FF study, using a screening for DSM-IV major depressive disorder (the CIDI short form), and in the ECLS-K, by a brief version of a widely used depression scale (ECD-S). The specific aims of the proposed analysis are to examine: (I) the relationship between maternal depression and weight during different phases of childhood; (II) the role of social or racial/ethnic disparities in childhood weight in explaining the relationship of interest; and (III) specific prevention/treatment relevant mechanisms, including poor dietary practices and lack of physical activity that may account for the relationship of interest. Data will be analyzed using longitudinal multivariate statistical regression analysis techniques and structured equation modeling, controlling for important correlates. Understanding mechanisms explaining the relationship between maternal depression and overweight in childhood offers great potential to inform prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Given the limited effectiveness of treatment for weight problems, elucidating this significant pathways will provide important information for developing new preventive interventions.