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ALLISON, DAVID B.
Use of Discordant Sibling Pairs for Finding Genetic Loci Linked to Obesity: Practical Considerations
International Journal of Obesity 20 (1996): 553-560
Cohort(s): NLSY79
ID Number: 2983
Publisher: Hope Press

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Currently there is substantial interest in finding genetic loci linked to human obesity. However, the complexity of the genetic architecture for human body fatness and body weight make this a very challenging task. Recently, several authors have proposed the use of discordant sibling pairs to improve the power to detect linkage for obesity and other continuously distributed complex phenotypes. The use of discordant siblings pairs can markedly increase the power of statistical analyses to detect linkage. However, the use of discordant sibling pairs also presents several practical concerns. These include both the difficulty and cost of locating markedly discordant sibling pairs and the possibility that when such pairs are located, they may in fact be only half-siblings due to non-paternity. In this paper, I consider both of these issues. Quantitative estimates of the probability of finding pairs of a given degree of discordance are presented based on both the assumption of a normal distribution as well as on actual data. Quantitative estimates of the odds of selecting pairs that are actually half siblings as opposed to full siblings are also presented for different degrees of discordance. Finally, percentile scores for BMI are tabulated as these are necessary for researchers to implement certain sibling selection strategies.

ALLISON, DAVID B.
FAITH, MYLES S.
NATHAN, J. S.
Risch's Lambda Values for Human Obesity
International Journal of Obesity 20 (1996): 990-999
Cohort(s): NLSY79
ID Number: 2984
Publisher: Hope Press

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

OBJECTIVE: Risch's lambda statistic (lambda-R)is related to the heritability of traits and can be useful in several contexts, including the conduct of power analyses to determine sample size for gene mapping studies. However, values of lambda-R have not been presented for human obesity. DESIGN AND RESULTS: Using both analytic and empirical approaches, the present study calculates estimates of lambda-R. Examples are provided to illustrate the use of these estimates for determining sample size for genetic mapping studies.

FAITH, MYLES S.
HESHKA, STANLEY
KELLER, KATHLEEN, L.
SHERRY, BETTYLOU
MATZ, PATTY E.
PIETROBELLI, ANGELO
ALLISON, DAVID B.
Maternal-Child Feeding Patterns and Child Body Weight: Findings from a Population-Based Sample
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 157 (2003): 926-932
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
ID Number: 4499
Publisher: American Medical Association

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Objective: Certain mother-child feeding patterns (MCFPs) may promote childhood obesity and/or disordered eating. The objectives of this study were to assess the demographic correlates of select MCFPs and to test whether differences in these MCFPs are associated with child body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) z-scores in a population-based study.

Design: A secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) Main and Child Cohorts was conducted on more than 1,000 Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic/non-African American? (NHNAA) children, aged 3?6 years. MCFPs were measured by three interview questions probing mother-allotted child food choice, child compliance during meals, and child obedience during meals.

Results: Mothers of NHNAA children allotted greater food choice than mothers of African American or Hispanic children. Maternal BMI and other demographic measures were unrelated to MCFPs. The lowest levels of mother-allotted child food choice and child eating compliance were associated with reduced child BMI, with mean BMI z-scores = -.36 and -.41 respectively. Effect sizes were small, however, and MCFPs did not discriminate children who were overweight or at-risk for overweight from children who were not (p> .05).

Conclusions: Feeding strategies providing the least child food choice were associated with reduced child BMI. However, feeding relations did not relate to child overweight status.

FAITH, MYLES S.
HESHKA, STANLEY
MATZ, PATTY E.
PLETROBELLI, A.
ALLISON, DAVID B.
Distribution of Maternal Feeding Practices in the United States: Results from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
Obesity Research 8, Supplement 1 (October 2000): 48s -
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
ID Number: 1516
Publisher: North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Maternal overcontrol during feeding is associated with poorer caloric regulation in children and may be a risk factor for childhood obesity. However, studies investigating these associations have relied upon relatively small and primarily Caucasian samples. There are almost no data on the distribution of maternal feeding practices (MFP), especially feeding overcontrol, on a population level. In the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), a nationally representative and ethnically diverse sample, mothers of children 3 - 6 years old were asked 'How much choice is your child allowed in deciding what foods he/she eats at breakfast and lunch?" Responses ranged from 1 ('A Great Deal") to 4 (`None"). Questions asking about child obedience during feeding were also assessed. We tested whether the distribution of reported MFP varies as a function of child gender, ethnicity, age, maternal body mass index (BMI), and family income. Subjects in the present study were > 1,000 Hispanic, African American, and "non-Hispanic non-African American" (i.e., primarily Caucasian) children of the original NLSY cohort. With respect to the question addressing child choice during eating, analyses indicated a significant ethnicity effect (p<.0001) such that mothers of non-Hispanic/non-African American children were more likely to report allowing their children "great choice" in deciding what foods to eat (32%) compared to mothers of Hispanic (20%) and African American (22%) children. By contrast, mothers of Hispanic (27%) and African American (24%) children were more likely to report allowing "none" or "little" food choice compared to mothers of non-Hispanic/non-African American children (13%). Choice was also related to family income in certain analyses (p<.0001), such that increasing income was associated with increased child food choice. Child gender, maternal BMI, and other demographic variables were not significant. Questions reflecting child obedience during eating did n ot differ by child gender or ethnicity. In summary, child food choice may be somewhat reduced in Hispanic, African American and poorer families, but unrelated to child gender and maternal BMI. Results appear consistent with certain population-level differences in obesity prevalence and the potential role of feeding overcontrol in childhood obesity onset. (Funded by grants from NIMH & ATPM-CDC).

FAITH, MYLES S.
MANIBAY, ELIZABETH
KRAVITZ, MEREDYTH
GRIFFITH, JOHN
ALLISON, DAVID B.
Relative Body Weight and Self-Esteem Among African Americans in Four Nationally Representative Samples
Obesity Research 6,6 (November 1998): 430-437. Also: http://www.naaso.org/obres/66/6430.htm
Cohort(s): NLSY79
ID Number: 3283
Publisher: North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is an increasingly common health problem among African Americans, especially women, in the United States. However, limited data are available on the psychological correlates of obesity in this population. This study examined the association between self-esteem and relative body weight (RBW) in four large nationally representative samples of African American individuals. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Data from The Adolescent Health Care Evaluation Study, The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, The High School and Beyond, and The National Survey of Black Americans were analyzed. Within each database, regression analyses tested the association between RBW and self-esteem while adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: In three of the four databases, there was no significant association between RBW and self-esteem. In the only database detecting a statistically significant effect, the magnitude of the effect was small. The combined effects of RBW and its interact ion with age and sex accounted for <2% of the variance in self-esteem across databases. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that elevated RBW is not associated with a poorer general self-concept, on average, among African American individuals. Copyright: NAASO


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