Familial Aggregation of Nutrient Intake and Physical Activity: Results from the San Antonio Family Heart Study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the extent to which levels of physical activity and nutrient intake aggregate in families, and secondarily, to assess the repeatability of these behavioral measures over a 5-year period. METHODS: Measurements were obtained in a population-based sample consisting of 1364 members...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of epidemiology 2003-02, Vol.13 (2), p.128-135
Main Authors: Mitchell, Braxton D, Rainwater, David L, Hsueh, Wen-Chi, Kennedy, Amy J, Stern, Michael P, Maccluer, Jean W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Bone Density
Diet
Exercise
Family Health
Family Study
Female
Health Behavior
Heritability
Humans
Male
Mexican Americans
Middle Aged
Physical Activity
Surveys and Questionnaires
Texas - epidemiology
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Summary:PURPOSE: To evaluate the extent to which levels of physical activity and nutrient intake aggregate in families, and secondarily, to assess the repeatability of these behavioral measures over a 5-year period. METHODS: Measurements were obtained in a population-based sample consisting of 1364 members of 42 large Mexican American families. Nutrient intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire validated for use in this population. Usual level of physical activity was estimated using a 7-day recall questionnaire. RESULTS: Correlations between baseline (obtained 1992-1995) and follow-up (obtained 1996 to 2000) measures of all behaviors were highly significant ( p < 0.001), ranging from 0.24 for % of calories derived from fat to 0.44 for % of calories derived from alcohol. Familial effects, estimated using variance component methods, were stronger when modeled as a genetic heritability than as a shared household effect; as a heritability they accounted for a significant portion of the total variation of all traits (9% for physical activity levels, p < 0.05; and 13–26% for nutrient intake, p < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of physical activity and dietary behaviors in this population tracked over 5 years, and there was a significant degree of aggregation of these behaviors within families. Understanding the sources of these family effects may facilitate efforts to improve cardiovascular health.
ISSN:1047-2797
1873-2585
DOI:10.1016/S1047-2797(02)00255-7