This research suggests that prenatal characteristics, particularly race, ethnicity, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and maternal prepregnancy obesity, exert influence on the child's weight states through an early tendency toward overweight, which then is perpetuated as the child ages. These findings are intriguing as they provide additional clues to the genesis of childhood overweight and suggest that overweight prevention may need to begin before pregnancy and in early childhood.

Researchers have argued that neighborhoods are an important determinant of labor activity. Using confidential street address data from the NLSY79, respondents were linked to neighborhood social characteristics and measures of job proximity. A one standard deviation increase in the social characteristics of a neighborhood increases annual hours by 6.1%; a similar increase in job proximity raises hours by 4.7%. Labor market activity at the individual level is positively related to labor market activity of neighbors. But employment is not the only neighborhood characteristic that matters. Being in a disadvantaged neighborhood, as measured by a variety of characteristics, reduces market work. Social interactions have non-linear effects with the greatest impact in the worst neighborhoods. Social interactions are also more important for less educated workers. Estimates that do not account for neighborhood selection on the basis of time-invariant and time-varying unobserved individual characteristics substantially overstate the social effects of neighborhoods but understate the effects of job access.

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Objective To examine the association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and cognitive test scores of children at early primary school age. Methods A descriptive observational design was used. Study subjects consist of 3412 US children aged 60 to 83 months from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Mother and Child Survey. Cognitive test scores using the Peabody Individual Achievement Test reading recognition and mathematics tests were used as the outcomes of interest. Association with maternal prepregnancy obesity was examined using the ordinary least square regression controlling for intrauterine, family background, maternal and child factors. Results Children of obese women had 3 points (0.23 SD units) lower PIAT reading recognition score (p=0.007), and 2 points (0.16 SD units) lower PIAT mathematics scores (p<.0001), holding all other factors constant. As expected, cognitive test score was associated with stimulating home environment (reading: β=0.15, p<.0001, and math: β=0.15, p<.0001), household income (reading: β=0.03, p=0.02 and math: β=0.04, p=0.004), maternal education (reading: β=0.42, p=0.0005, and math: β=0.32, p=0.008), and maternal cognitive skills (reading: β=0.11, p<.0001, and math: β=0.09, p<.0001). Conclusion There was a significant association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and child cognitive test scores that could not be explained by other intrauterine, family background, maternal, and child factors. Children who live in disadvantaged postnatal environments may be most affected by the effects of maternal prepregnancy obesity. Replications of the current study using different cohorts are warranted to confirm the association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and child cognitive test scores.

In this paper we analyze the economic and demographic factors that influence return migration, focusing on generation 1.5 immigrants. Using longitudinal data from the 1979 youth cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLSY79), we track residential histories of young immigrants to the United States and analyze the covariates associated with return migration to their home country. Overall, return migration appears to respond to economic incentives, as well as to cultural and linguistic ties to the United States and the home country. We find no role for welfare magnets in the decision to return, but we learn that welfare participation leads to lower probability of return migration. Finally, we see no evidence of a skill bias in return migration, where skill is measured by performance on the Armed Forces Qualifying Test.

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The frequency of diuretic administration to infants with BPD at US children's hospitals, as well as the specific diuretic regimen used, varies markedly by institution. Safety and effectiveness research of long-term diuretic therapy for BPD patients is needed to develop evidence-based recommendations.