The Influence of Parent’s Education, Birth order and Number of Siblings on Adolescents’ BMI

Abstract

Abstract Obesity in adolescents show high prevalence specially in developing countries. Although birth order and sib size have been mathematically coupled and in spite of their respective effect on both overweight and obesity, they have not been estimated before separately. Moreover, the educational achievement of parents might have impact on their children’s nutritional status. Objective This study aims to assess how birth order and number of siblings affect adolescent obesity risk and to examine the impact of parent’s education on adolescent obesity, the results will indicate which family members may be prioritized for inclusion in adolescent obesity prevention programs. Methodology A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on individuals aged 10 to 18 years old, including sex, age, birth weight, birth order, number of siblings, lifestyle, and parents' educational level by a self-administered questionnaire completed by an adult member of the family, while measurements of subjects’ height and weight were done in the clinic of nutrition and immunity. The CDC's BMI cut-off points were used to classify the subjects as normal (5–84th percentile) and obese (≥ 95th percentile). Results Distribution of the number of siblings was different in both groups as regards BMI but statistically insignificant, we found no statistically significant difference on correlating birth order and number of siblings. Conclusion Adolescent’s BMI were driven by neither the sibling was (younger or older) nor number of their siblings. There was no significant association between parental education and the development of obesity.