Individual and household determinants of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in China

Background: Overweight and obesity among children and adolescents are a global concern. Research on the combined influence of individual and household factors on overweight and obesity among children and adolescents across China remains relatively limited, especially regarding parental social capital. This study aims to identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in China and explore related individual and household determinants. Methods: We retrieved data on 2431 individuals aged 7-18 years from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies. We used binary logistic regression to evaluate associations between overweight and obesity among children and adolescents and 22 variables selected via keyword co-occurrence visualisation, and conducted sensitivity analyses to assess quality and robustness. Results: Among the participants, 20.36% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 18.78-22.02) were overweight, and 10.00% (95% CI = 8.83-11.26) were obese. Shared risk factors for both overweight and obesity included younger age, male sex, urban residence, informal education, paternal overweight, paternal obesity, maternal overweight, maternal loneliness, and low maternal cognitive social capital. Factors uniquely associated with overweight were maternal obesity, internet use, higher maternal structural social capital, good community infrastructure, and living in Northeastern China. For obesity, specific predictors were a larger mother-child age gap and the highest household income. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in China is shaped by complex individual and household factors. Our findings highlight the need for coordinated interventions by families, schools, and governments targeting intergenerational and sociocultural pathways.