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Table 1 Descriptive characteristics for children and their mothers (n = 530)

From: The association between maternal-child physical activity levels at the transition to formal schooling: cross-sectional and prospective data from the Southampton Women’s Survey

 

Cross-sectional

(n = 530)

Prospective

(n = 170)

Childrena

Mothersb

Children

Mothers

Female (n (%))

257 (48.5)

 

85 (50)

 

Age (years)

6.7 (0.3)

37.2 (3.6)

6.7 (0.3)

37.7 (3.7)

BMI (kg/m2)

16.1 (1.7)

24.4 (9.2)

16.2 (1.7)

26.7 (5.2)

Weight Status (n (%))

 Underweight

30 (5.7)

 

7 (4.2)

 

 Normal weight

408 (77.9)

264 (50.6)

130 (78.3)

56 (42.4)

 Overweight/ obese

86 (16.4)

257 (49.3)

29 (17.5)

78 (57.5)

BMI z-score

0.25 (1.0)

 

0.32 (1.0)

 

Age mother left full-time education (n (%))

< 16 years

 

191 (36.1)

 

55 (32.4)

 17–18 years

 

196 (37.1)

 

65 (38.2)

 > 18 years

 

142 (26.8)

 

50 (29.4)

Other children in the home (n (%))

 None

218 (41.4)

 

71 (41.8)

 

 Older only

138 (26.0)

 

40 (23.5)

 

 Younger only

135 (25.5)

 

46 (27.1)

 

 Older and younger

39 (7.4)

 

13 (7.7)

 
  1. All values are mean (sd) unless stated otherwise; sd standard deviation, a Inclusive of 170 children in prospective cohort, BMI Body Mass Index; a Children included in the longitudinal analyses (compared with those providing valid activity data at age 6 only) were more likely to have a higher BMI at age 4 (16.8 vs. 16.1, p = 0.003) and be older at age 6 (6.7 vs. 6.6 years, p = 0.001); b Mothers providing data at both time points (vs. aged 6 only) were more likely to have a higher BMI (26.7 vs. 24.4 kg/m2, p = 0.03) and have left school later (29.4% vs. 26.8% leaving school after 18 years p = 0.04)