The effect of single motherhood on smoking by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity

We examined the association between parenting young children and smoking among US single women compared with married women, and whether this effect is moderated by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Our main finding is that having children reduces smoking except among single white women, and women with low income. We used the Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey, a nationally representative dataset (1995-96, n=70,019). Log-binomial regression analysis was used to estimate the association between parenting responsibility (i.e., presence of children aged 0-4 and 5-17) and daily smoking status, after taking into consideration marital status, income, and race/ethnicity. Single women faced a higher risk of smoking than married women. Parenting was protective against smoking among married women but not among single women. Additionally, among single women, the associations between parenting and smoking varied by income and race/ethnicity. Parenting increased the risk of smoking among single women in the lowest income quartile. Single black and Hispanic women with children had a risk of smoking similar to that of their childless counterparts. However, single white women with children were more likely to smoke than their childless counterparts. Smoking cessation interventions and programs to reduce environmental tobacco smoke should recognize that the co-occurrence of single motherhood, parenting responsibility and low-income may increase the risk of smoking. This is particularly significant given the rapid growth of the single women population, and their concentration in poverty in the USA. The finding that parenting is protective against smoking among single minority women, who presumably experience significant stressors, calls for a more thorough investigation of smoking behavior among minority women, and suggests the importance of stress buffers such as social support.     

Personal and neighborhood socioeconomic status and indices of neighborhood walk-ability predict body mass index in New York City

Past research has observed inverse associations between neighborhood and personal level measures of socioeconomic status and body mass index (BMI), but has not assessed how personal and neighborhood-level measures might interact together to predict BMI. Using a sample of 13,102 adult residents of New York City who participated in a health survey, cross-sectional multi-level analyses assessed whether personal income, education and Zip code-level poverty rates were associated with BMI. Demographic, income, education and objectively measured height and weight data were collected in the survey and poverty rates and the proportion of Black and Hispanic residents in the subject's Zip code were retrieved from the 2000 Census. Zip code-level population density and land use mix, indices of neighborhood walk-ability which are often higher in lower income neighborhoods and are associated with lower BMI, were also measured. After controlling for individual and Zip code-level demographic characteristics, increasing income was associated with lower BMI in women but not in men, and college and graduate level education was associated with lower BMI in both men and women. After control for income and individual and Zip code-level demographic characteristics, higher Zip code poverty rate was unassociated with BMI. However, as expected, indices of neighborhood walk-ability acted as substantial inverse confounders in the relationship between Zip code poverty rate and BMI. After further adjustment for indices of neighborhood walk-ability, Zip code poverty rate became significantly, and positively associated with BMI in women. Among women, the inverse association between income and BMI was significantly stronger in richer compared to poorer Zip codes. In men and women, the association between college and graduate education and lower BMI was significantly stronger in richer versus poorer Zip codes. These analyses suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic context influences how personal socioeconomic status interact in predicting boby size.     

Socio-economic status and body mass index in low-income Mexican adults

The study reported here explored the associations of body mass index (BMI), socio-economic status (SES), and beverage consumption in a very low-income population. A house-to-house survey was conducted in 2003 of 12,873 Mexican adults. The sample was designed to be representative of the poorest communities in seven of Mexico's 31 states. Greater educational attainment was significantly associated with higher BMI and a greater prevalence of overweight (25 < or = BMI<30) and obesity (30 < or = BMI) in men and women. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was over 70% in women greater than the median age of 35.4 years with at least some primary education compared with a prevalence of 45% in women below the median age with no education. In both sexes, BMI was positively correlated with education, occupation, quality of housing conditions, household assets, and subjective social status. BMI and household income were significantly correlated in women but not in men. In the models including all SES variables, education, occupation, housing conditions and household assets all contributed independently and significantly to BMI, and household income and subjective social status did not. Increased consumption of alcoholic and carbonated sugar beverages was associated with higher SES and higher BMI. Thus, in spite of the narrow range of socio-economic variability in this population, the increased consumption of high calorie beverages may explain the positive relationship between SES and BMI. The positive associations between SES and BMI in this low-income, rural population are likely to be related to the changing patterns of food availability, food composition, consumption patterns and cultural factors. Contextually sensitive population-level interventions are critically needed to address obesity and overweight in poor populations, particularly in older women.     

某地区公务员的体重质数与血压血脂指标的相关性研究

目的　探索沿海某地区公务员体重指数与血压、血脂指标水平的相关性及其年龄、性别分布特征。方法　利用本地区公务员体检相关数据 ,在SAS软件包支持下做相关分析。结果　体重指数 (BMI)与血压指数 (舒张压、收缩压和脉压 )和血脂指标 [甘油三酯 (TG)、总胆固醇 (TC)、高密度脂蛋白 (HDL C)和低密度脂蛋白 (LDL C) ]均呈现高度显著性(P <0 0 1) ,其中在男性中青年年龄段群体这种相关性最为突出。结论　多食肥胖是心脑血管病的危险行为问题 ,当前特别要注意中青年群体的多食肥胖问题。     

A multilevel analysis of race, community disadvantage, and body mass index among adults in the US

This study examined the contributions of both individual socioeconomic status (SES) and community disadvantage in explaining the higher body mass index (BMI) of black adults in the US. Data from a national survey of adults (1986 American's Changing Lives Study) were combined with tract-level community data from the 1980 census. Results of multilevel regression analyses showed that black women had an age-adjusted BMI score three points higher than non-black women. Individual SES (income, education, assets) was negatively associated with BMI in women, but it only reduced the association between race and BMI from 2.99 to 2.50. Adding community socioeconomic disadvantage index further reduced the race coefficient slightly from 2.50 to 2.21. Nevertheless, living in communities with higher socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with higher BMI net of age, race, individual SES, smoking, physical activity, stress, and social support. Community income inequality (Gini) had an independent positive association with BMI, but did not substantially reduce racial differences among women. Community percent black was not associated with BMI. Results for men demonstrated no statistically significant racial differences in BMI, and no association between BMI and either individual SES or community disadvantage. Although individual SES and community socioeconomic disadvantage each partly explained the higher average BMI among black women, clear racial disparities persisted. Moreover, race, individual SES, community socioeconomic disadvantage, and individual health behaviors were each independent predictors of BMI among women. Unexplained within- and between-community variance in BMI remained among both women and men, with most unexplained variation due to within-community variance. Because our evidence for women suggests that the determinants of obesity are multiple and multilevel, attempts to address this growing social problem will similarly require a multi-faceted and multilevel approach.     

Immigrant generation, socioeconomic status, and economic development of countries of origin: a longitudinal study of body mass index among children

Prior research has yielded mixed evidence of a relationship between immigrant generational status or acculturation and overweight or obesity among children of immigrants. This study examined socioeconomic status (SES) and economic development of the sending country as additional factors influencing children body mass index (BMI) and as moderating the relationship between parental generational status and BMI. Using data from the kindergarten cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey (N=16,664 children) carried out in the USA, the research estimated growth curve models and tested the significance of interaction terms between generational status (i.e., children of the 1.0 generation, who arrived at age 12 or older; children of the 1.5 generation, who arrived between the ages of birth and 11; and children of natives), SES, and the country of origin's gross domestic product per capita. Results indicate that the children of the 1.0 generation from higher-income countries tended to gain more weight than children from lower-income countries. The relationship between family SES and weight gain was positive among the first-generation children and stronger among those from lower-income countries than from higher-income countries. Weight gain was positively associated with generation only among lower SES children from low-income countries. It was negatively associated with generation for higher SES children from low-income countries. The results are consistent with a conceptual model of BMI assimilation that links global nutrition patterns to the levels and socioeconomic variations in BMI among the 1.0-generation and their children, and conceptualizes assimilation as occurring within socioeconomic strata. This approach leads to the expectation that overweight is likely to be positively associated with generation among those from low-income countries (as measured by GDP/capita) with low SES but negatively associated among those from low-income countries with high SES.     

深圳市餐饮成年消费人群体质指数值与体重自我评价调查

目的探讨体质指数(BMI)在深圳成年人的分布特征和体重自我评价情况。方法2008年3月采用随机整群抽样方法随机抽取某些时间段在深圳市某连锁餐饮单位所有的成年消费人群作为调查对象,通过自制问卷实施调查。结果共收集有效问卷703份。样本人群BMI的均值为(21.34±2.94)kg/m2,消瘦、超重和肥胖率分别为15.1%、15.6%和2.6%;女性的消瘦比例显著高于男性,男性的超重比例显著高于女性;18~岁年龄组超重和肥胖率最低,随着年龄的增长,超重和肥胖率都呈上升趋势。样本人群对自身体重评价与BMI值的一致率为66.3%,男性和女性对自身体重评价与BMI值的一致率分别为65.5%和67.3%,两者之间差异无统计学意义。结论BMI与性别和年龄有密切关系,正确地认识自身体重状况的健康教育及预防控制超重和肥胖的工作任重道远。     

体重指数与死亡的前瞻性研究

目的：探讨不同体重指数（BMI）水平与总死亡及不同死因死亡的关系。方法;1982－1985年在我国不同地区的10组人群中（年龄35－39岁）进行心血管病危险因素调查,并对研究对象中无脑卒中、无心肌梗死及无恶性肿瘤史的30560人（男性15723人,女性14837人）,随访至1999－2000年,登记各种死亡的发生情况。结果：在平均15．2年的随访中,共死亡3212例,其中冠心病和脑卒中共死亡676例,恶性肿瘤死亡1281例,其他原因死亡1255例。用Cox比例风险回归模型（调整年龄、性别0估计低BMI组（BMI＜18．5）、正常BMI组（BMI为18．5－23．9）、超重组（BMI为24－27．9）和肥胖组（BMI≥28）总死亡的相对危险分别为1．21,1．00,0．901,1．12,呈“U”形关系,当同时剔除前5年死亡病例及吸烟者后,低BMI组死亡的相对危险降低,而肥胖组增加,正常BMI组的相对危险最小。 随着BMI水平的上升,冠心病和脑卒中死亡的相对危险增加,恶性肿瘤死亡的相对危险降低,其他原因死亡的相对危险与BMI水平呈“U”形关系,当剔除早期死亡病例及吸烟者后,这些趋势依然存在。结论：BMI在正常范围内,总死亡的相对危险较低,且冠心病和脑卒中死亡,恶性肿瘤死亡及其它原因死亡的 综合风险也处于相对较低水平,有着重要的公共卫生学意义。     

BMI及临床特征对不同生理阶段乳腺癌复发转移的影响分析

目的 探讨体重指数(BMI)及临床特征对不同生理阶段乳腺癌复发转移的影响。方法 回顾性收集四川省肿瘤医院1999年至2010年收治的女性原发性乳腺癌743例。根据绝经状态和年龄将患者划分为育龄期、围绝经期、绝经后3组,分析影响各组乳腺癌无病生存期(DFS)的因素。结果 多因素分析发现,高BMI(23.0~29.9 kg/m2)和低BMI(< 18.5 kg/m2)均能降低绝经后患者的DFS (HR高BMI = 2.60, 95%CI: 1.06~6.37;HR低BMI = 6.92, 95%CI: 1.93~24.81);三阴降低围绝经和绝经后患者的DFS (HR = 4.78, 95%CI: 1.06~21.58;HR = 2.64, 95%CI: 1.33~5.28);淋巴结转移数≥4个降低育龄患者的DFS(HR = 4.08, 95%CI: 1.52~10.97 )。结论 BMI及三阴对不同生理阶段乳腺癌预后均有影响,尤其是高低BMI均能降低患者的无病生存期,提示患者应保持适当体重,减少复发转移风险。     

北京市55岁以上人群体重指数与高血压及全死因死亡率的关系

目的：探索老年人体重指数（BMI）与高血压和死亡的关系。方法：1992年在北京市区和近郊山区，各随机抽取1个区／县，在所抽取的区／县采取分层、分段及整群抽样的方法抽取55岁以上人群2086名进行队列研究。结果：BMI随年龄的上升而下降，高血压患病率则随BMI和年龄的增高而上升。BMI与全死因死亡率呈负相关关系，BMI≥25．0和20．0－24．9组老人的死亡危险分别比BMI＜20．0组老人低62％（HR＝0．38，95，CI：0．29－0．49）和39％（HR＝0．61，95％；CI：0．49－0．75）；Cox多因素分析表明，在控制年龄、性别、地区（城乡）、高血压患病史、认知功能、健康自评等因素后，上述关系依然存在。结论；在老年人群不应过分强调减肥，但结果有待于进一步深入研究和证实。     

Social status and health: a comparison of British civil servants in Whitehall-II with European- and African-Americans in CARDIA

Socioeconomic status (SES) is related to health in every industrialized society where it has been studied. Indicators include educational attainment, occupational status, and income. Subjective social status (SSS), a summative judgment of one's socioeconomic position across these dimensions, also appears to be associated with health status. The current study examines whether SSS has similar associations with SES indicators and with health outcomes among British civil servants (participants in the Whitehall-II study), and U.S. whites and blacks (participants in the CARDIA study). The comparisons shed light on social status in the U.S. and England and on the applicability of findings from Whitehall-II to both whites and blacks in the U.S. Parallel analyses in each group examined (1) the extent to which income, education, and occupational status determine SSS ratings, (2) the association of SSS with hypertension, depression, and global health, and (3) the extent to which adjustment for education, occupation and income individually and collectively reduce the association of SSS and health outcomes. As predicted, occupation is a more important determinant of SSS in Whitehall-II than in CARDIA; adjustment for occupation reduces the association between SSS and health outcomes more for the Whitehall-II participants -- especially males -- than for CARDIA participants. Among the latter, education and income play relatively greater roles. Socioeconomic factors do not predict SSS scores for blacks as well as they do for the other two groups. SSS is significantly related to global health and depression in all groups and to hypertension in all groups except black males. Overall, relationships of SSS and health were stronger for Whitehall-II and white CARDIA participants than for blacks in CARDIA.     

宁波市7岁以下儿童年龄别身高、体重和体重指数变化特点

目的 探讨宁波市7岁以下儿童年龄别身高、体重、BMI变化特点及体格发育现状和规律.方法 随机整群抽样调查64 038名健康儿童的身高、体重,按年龄别性别计算身高、体重、BMI的均值、标准差和百分位数,与WHO(2006年)和中国9市城区(2005年)调查结果的参照标准进行比较.结果男女儿童体重、身高的年增长速度基本一致,各项指标随年龄增加而增长,年龄越小增长速度越快,且存在性别和城乡差异.儿童BMI随年龄和性别不同有明显变化,4～6个月时达高峰,以后随年龄增加而缓慢下降.结论宁波市7岁以下儿童身高、体重平均生长水平已达到甚至超过WHO标准,儿童体重、身高的年增长速度与2005年中国9市城区调查的同年龄人群平均水平总趋势一致.     

The weight of place: a multilevel analysis of gender, neighborhood material deprivation, and body mass index among Canadian adults

This study examined the impact of neighborhood material deprivation on gender differences in body mass index (BMI) for urban Canadians. Data from a national health survey of adults (Canadian Community Health Survey Cycles 1.1/2.1) were combined with census tract-level neighborhood data from the 2001 census. Using multilevel analysis we found that living in neighborhoods with higher material deprivation was associated with higher BMI. Compared to women living in the most affluent neighborhoods, women living in the most deprived neighborhoods had a BMI score 1.8 points higher. For women 1.65 m in height (5'4' inches), this translated into a 4.8 kg or 11 lb difference. For men, living in affluent neighborhoods was associated with higher BMI (7 lb) relative to men living in deprived neighborhoods. The relative disadvantage for men living in pockets of affluence and women living in pockets of poverty persisted after adjusting for age, married and visible minority status, educational level, self-perceived stress, sense of belonging, and lifestyle factors, including smoking, exercise, diet, and chronic health conditions. The implication of these disparate findings for men and women is that interventions that lead to healthy weight control may need to be gender responsive. Our findings also suggest that what we traditionally have thought to be triggering factors for weight gain and maintenance of unhealthy BMI-lifestyle and behavioral factors-are not sufficient explanations. Indeed, these factors account for only a portion of the explanation of why neighborhood stress is associated with BMI. Cultural attitudes about the body that pressure women to meet the thin ideal which can lead to an unhealthy cycle of dieting and, subsequent weight gain, and the general acceptability of the heavier male need to be challenged. Education and intervention within a public health framework remain important targets for producing healthy weight.     

Association of socioeconomic status with inflammation markers in black and white men and women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study

Inflammatory processes are implicated in a number of diseases for which there are known socioeconomic status (SES) disparities, including heart disease and diabetes. Growing evidence also suggests SES gradients in levels of peripheral blood markers of inflammation. However, we know little about potential gender and racial/ethnic differences in associations between SES and inflammation, despite the fact that the burden of inflammation-related diseases varies by gender and race. The present study examines SES (education and income) gradients in levels of two inflammatory biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in a biethnic (White and Black) sample of men and women (n = 3549, aged 37–55 years) in the USA from the CARDIA Study. Health status, behavioral and psychosocial variables that may underlie SES differences in inflammatory biomarker levels were also examined. Age-adjusted CRP and IL-6 levels were inversely associated with education level in each race/gender group except Black males. Income gradients were also observed in each race/gender group for IL-6 and in White females and males for CRP. In general, differences in CRP and IL-6 levels between low and high SES groups were reduced in magnitude and significance with the addition of health status, behavioral, and psychosocial variables, although the impact of the addition of model covariates varied across race/gender groups and different SES-inflammation models. Overall, findings indicate SES gradients in levels of inflammation burden in middle-aged White and Black males and females.     

Parental correlates of food parenting practices: socioeconomic status,weight, and dieting status

Little research has considered how parents’ socioeconomic indicators, body mass index (BMI), and dieting status relate to their food parenting. The current study used self-report data from parents of young children to examine group differences on three types of food parenting practices (Structure, Coercive Control, and Autonomy Promotion). Few group differences were found for socioeconomic indicators. However, parent dieting status moderated effects of parent BMI on structure and autonomy promotion. Obese, non-dieting parents reported lower scores on both variables. More research is needed to better understand how parents’ dieting status moderates the effects of parent’s weight.     

The effect of income and occupation on body mass index among women in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Surveys (1983-2002)

We assessed the effects of changes in income and occupational activities on changes in body weight among 2952 non-pregnant women enrolled in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Surveys between 1983 and 2002. On average, body mass index (BMI) among women occupied in low activities was 0.29 kg/m(2) (standard error 0.11) larger compared to women occupied in heavy activities. BMI among women involved in medium activities was on average 0.12 kg/m(2) (standard error 0.05) larger compared to women occupied in heavy activities. A one-unit increase in log household income in the previous survey was associated with a small and positive change in BMI of 0.006 kg/m(2) (standard error 0.02) but the effect was not significant. The trend of increasing body mass was higher in the late 1980s than during the 1990s. These period effects were stronger for the women who were younger at baseline and for women with low or medium activity levels. Our analysis suggests a trend in the environment over the last 20 years that has increased the susceptibility of Filipino women to larger body mass.     

Obesity,race/ethnicity and the multiple dimensions of socioeconomic status during the transition to adulthood: A factor analysis approach

Racial/ethnic disparities in obesity widen dramatically during young adulthood in the US. Understanding racial/ethnic differences in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity can provide insight on these disparities. However, the delay and complexity of the transition to adulthood create challenges for defining SES using traditional, single indicators, such as income or years of education. Our objective was to define a multidimensional measure of young adult SES using exploratory factor analysis and to investigate whether distinct SES dimensions differentially predicted obesity across race/ethnicity in 11,250 young adults (mean age = 21.9 years) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Wave III: 2000–2001). Four factors (social advantage; schooling; employment; and economic hardship) extracted from a principal factor analysis on 38 SES indicators comprised our multidimensional measure of young adult SES. The respondents' scores on each factor were entered into gender-stratified Poisson regression models to estimate the relative risk of young adult obesity for a contrast of approximately one standard deviation in score. The association of the “Social advantage” and “Economic hardship” factors with obesity differed by race/ethnicity (p < 0.05 for Wald test of interaction) in females; high “Social advantage” scores were inversely associated with obesity in white and Hispanic females (9–20% lower) while high scores on “Economic hardship” were positively associated with obesity (7–76% higher) in white and Asian females. In contrast, no significant racial/ethnic differences were detected in young adult males. The “Schooling” factor was significantly protective (RR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.98) for females of all racial/ethnic groups. These results facilitate understanding of the impact of multiple, distinct SES dimensions during the complex transition to adulthood and thus provide salient information for reducing racial/ethnic disparities in obesity during this important period for obesity development.     

基于2016—2020年学生健康监测探讨COVID-19疫情对苏州市6~12岁儿童BMI的影响

目的  COVID-19疫情改变了儿童生活方式,本文旨在探讨COVID-19疫情对儿童BMI的影响。方法  基于苏州市儿童青少年健康监测项目,回顾性收集2016—2020年40所小学,共计331 341人次学生BMI监测数据,比较2016—2020年BMI-Z评分和超重肥胖率的变化趋势。结果  平均每年监测人数为66 868人。2020年BMI-Z评分明显增高(0.580),高于2016—2019年的最高值(0.427),增高0.158(95% CI: 0.144~0.171, P < 0.001);男生的BMI-Z评分增幅高于女生,城市高于乡村,低年龄组高于高年龄组(均有P < 0.001)。2016—2020年,随着年份增加,超重肥胖率增加,消瘦率降低(趋势性χ²=595.834, P < 0.001),2020年肥胖率明显高于2016—2019年最高值(15.9% vs. 12.9%, χ²=253.616, P < 0.001),不同性别和地区呈现相同变化趋势。Logistic回归分析模型显示,和2016年比,2017—2019年肥胖情况未呈现明显差异,2020年肥胖率明显升高(OR=1.323, 95% CI: 1.280~1.366)。结论  COVID-19疫情加速了苏州市6~12岁儿童BMI的增加。做好疫情防控的同时,应关注儿童持续增加的超重肥胖率。     

我国成人体重指数和腰围对相关疾病危险因素异常的预测价值:适宜体重指数和腰围切点的研究

目的：确定我国成人适宜的体重指数（BMI）范围和超重肥胖的划分界限。国际生命科学学会中国办事处中国肥胖问题工作组，对国内现有体量指标和相关疾病危险因素的研究数据组织了汇总分析。方法：有13项1990年以后的调查资料人选，共计20－70岁以上成人23972人，有腰围数据者111411人，有血脂和血糖化验数据者8万余人。数据进入分析的人群分布于大陆21个省市、自治区儿台湾。汇总方法是由各负责单位根据统一制定的表格和标准提供数据，汇总分析中心进行核对、汇总和统计分析。结果；高血压、糖尿病、血清总胆固醇升高、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇过低、甘油三酯升高和危险因素聚集（一个人具有2个及以上危险因素）的现患率均随BMI或腰围的增高而上升。通过不同BMI和腰围切点对于检出各项危险因素异常的敏感度和特异度分析，提出敏感度特异度较好、假阳性率较低的BMI切24为中国成人超重的界限，特异度达90％的BMI切点28为肥胖的界限；男性腰围≥85cm，女性≥80cm为腹部脂肪蓄积的界限。结论：切点以上的人群归因危险度百分比显示：将BMI控制到24以下，可能防止人群中45％－50％的危险因素聚集。对BMI在28及以上者药物控制到此点以下，可能防止15％－17％的危险因素聚集，从而降低心血管病和糖尿病的发病危险。男性腰围控制在85cm以下，女性腰围控制到80cm以下， 可能防止约47％－58％的解除因素聚集。根据以上分析结果，提出了对中国成人超重和肥胖界限的建议。     

Body mass index trajectories from adolescence to midlife: differential effects of parental and respondent education by race/ethnicity and gender

Objectives. Race/ethnicity and education are among the strongest social determinants of body mass index (BMI) throughout the life course, yet we know relatively little about how these social factors both independently and interactively contribute to the rate at which BMI changes from adolescence to midlife. The purpose of this study is to (1) examine variation in trajectories of BMI from adolescence to midlife by mothers' and respondents' education and (2) determine if the effects of mothers' and respondents' education on BMI trajectories differ by race/ethnicity and gender. Design. We used nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Our sample included White (n=4433), Black (n=2420), and Hispanic (n=1501) respondents. Self-reported height and weight were collected on 16 occasions from 1981 to 2008. We employed two-level linear growth models to specify BMI trajectories. Results. Mothers' education was inversely associated with BMI and BMI change among women. Among men, mothers' education was inversely associated with BMI; these educational disparities persisted for Whites, diminished for Blacks, and widened for Hispanics. Respondents' education was inversely associated with BMI among women, but was positively associated with the rate of BMI change among Black women. Respondents' education was inversely associated with BMI among White and Hispanic men, and positively associated with BMI among Black men. These educational disparities widened for White and Black men, but narrowed for Hispanic men. Conclutions. Our results suggest that by simultaneously considering multiple sources of stratification, we can more fully understand how the unequal distribution of advantages or disadvantages across social groups affects BMI across the life course.