The study explored whether a broad range of behavioral and familial factors mediated the associations between parental education and indicators of adiposity among adolescents. Authors used baseline data from a 2007 school-based intervention study among 11-year-old adolescents from large towns and municipalities around Oslo, Norway. Anthropometric outcomes, physical activity and sedentary time among adolescents were objectively measured. Other behavioral variables and parental waist circumference were self-reported. Mediation analyses were conducted.

Findings:

• Among boys, maternal waist circumference (WC), paternal WC and TV viewing mediated 16%, 11.5% and 13% of the association between parental education and adolescent WC. The respective proportions when body fat percentage was used as the outcome variable were 22.5%, 16% and 21%.
• Among girls, maternal and paternal WC mediated 20% and 14% of the association between parental education and WC. The respective proportions when body fat percentage was used as the outcome variable were 14% and 10%.

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Variables did not play any mediating role. Parental WC was found to be a mediator of socioeconomic differences in adiposity in both genders; underlying mechanisms were however not investigated. Among boys, reducing TV time could contribute to the reduction of social inequalities in adiposity.

• Mekdes K. Gebremariam
• Onyebuchi A. Arah, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
• et al