Title | Changes in Body Mass Index and Obesity Risk in Married Couples Over 25 Years: The ARIC Cohort Study. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2016 |
Authors | Cobb LK, McAdams-Demarco MA, Gudzune KA, Anderson CAM, Demerath EW, Woodward M, Selvin E |
Secondary Authors | Coresh JJ |
Journal | Am J Epidemiol |
Volume | 183 |
Issue | 5 |
Pagination | 435-43 |
Date Published | 2016 Mar 01 |
ISSN | 1476-6256 |
Keywords | Aged, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Linear Models, Male, Marital Status, Maryland, Middle Aged, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Obesity, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Spouses, Time Factors, Weight Gain |
Abstract | Married couples might be an appropriate target for obesity prevention interventions. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether an individual's risk of obesity is associated with spousal risk of obesity and whether an individual's change in body mass index (BMI; weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) is associated with spousal BMI change. We analyzed data from 3,889 spouse pairs in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort who were sampled at ages 45-65 years from 1986 to 1989 and followed for up to 25 years. We estimated hazard ratios for incident obesity by whether spouses remained nonobese, became obese, remained obese, or became nonobese. We estimated the association of participants' BMI changes with concurrent spousal BMI changes using linear mixed models. Analyses were stratified by sex. At baseline, 22.6% of men and 24.7% of women were obese. Nonobese participants whose spouses became obese were more likely to become obese themselves (for men, hazard ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval: 1.30, 2.43; for women, hazard ratio = 1.89, 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 2.57). With each 1-unit increase in spousal BMI change, women's BMI change increased by 0.15 (95% confidence interval: 0.13, 0.18) and men's BMI change increased by 0.10 (95% confidence interval: 0.09, 0.12). Having a spouse become obese nearly doubles one's risk of becoming obese. Future research should consider exploring the efficacy of obesity prevention interventions in couples. |
DOI | 10.1093/aje/kwv112 |
Alternate Journal | Am J Epidemiol |
PubMed ID | 26405117 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC4772434 |
Grant List | HHSN268201100012C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100009I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100010C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100008C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100005G / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100008I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100007C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100011I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100011C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States T32 HL007024 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States K01 AG043501 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100006C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States K23HL116601 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100005I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States K24 DK106414 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States K23 HL116601 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States T32HL007024 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100009C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100005C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States 2T32DK062707-11A1 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States HHSN268201100007I / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States T32 DK062707 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States K01AG043501 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States |