Controlled Study of Critical Parent and Family Factors in the Obesigenic Environment
Meg H. Zeller,Jennifer Reiter-Purtill,Avani C. Modi,Joeanne Gutzwiller,Kathryn Vannatta,W. Hobart Davies +5 more
TLDR
Examination of parent and family characteristics among obese youth presenting for treatment in a clinic setting finds critical gaps remain in understanding of the obesigenic family environment.Abstract:
Objective: Critical gaps remain in our understanding of the obesigenic family environment. This study examines parent and family characteristics among obese youth presenting for treatment in a clinic setting.
Research Methods and Procedures: Families of 78 obese youth (BMI z-score = 2.4; age, 8 to 16 years; 59% girls; 49% African-American) were compared with 71 non-overweight (BMI z-score = −0.02) demographically matched comparisons. Parents completed measures assessing family demographics, psychological distress (Symptom Checklist 90-Revised), and family functioning both broadly (Family Environment Scale: Conflicted, Support, Control) and at mealtimes (About Your Child's Eating-Revised: Mealtime Challenges, Positive Mealtime Interaction). Height and weight were obtained from all participants.
Results: Compared with mothers and fathers of non-overweight youth, parents of obese youth had significantly higher BMIs (p < 0.001). Mothers of obese youth reported significantly greater psychological distress (p < 0.01), higher family conflict (p < 0.05), and more mealtime challenges (p < 0.01). Less positive family mealtime interactions were reported by both mothers (p < 0.01) and fathers (p < 0.05) of obese youth. These group differences did not vary by child sex or race. Logistic regression analyses indicated that maternal distress and mealtime challenges discriminated between obese and non-overweight youth after controlling for maternal BMI. Family conflict was explained, in part, by maternal distress.
Discussion: Obese youth who present for treatment in a clinic setting are characterized by psychosocial factors at the parent and family level that differ from non-overweight youth. These data are critical because they identify factors that may be serving as barriers to a family's or youth's ability to implement healthy lifestyle behaviors but that are potentially modifiable.read more
Citations
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Childhood Overweight and the Relationship between Parent Behaviors, Parenting Style, and Family Functioning
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between parent behaviors, parenting style, and how a family functions with respect to the development of childhood overweight is discussed, and the impact of specific parent behaviors within the context of parenting style and family functioning needs to be explored.
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General parenting, childhood overweight and obesity-inducing behaviors: a review
Ester F. C. Sleddens,Sanne M. P. L. Gerards,Carel Thijs,Nanne K. de Vries,Stef P. J. Kremers +4 more
TL;DR: Results suggest that children raised in authoritative homes ate more healthy, were more physically active and had lower BMI levels, compared to children who were raised with other styles.
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Psychological correlates of childhood obesity
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TL;DR: The interrelatedness between obesity and psychological problems seems to be twofold, in that clinically meaningful psychological distress might foster weight gain and obesity may lead to psychosocial problems.
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Linking psychosocial stressors and childhood obesity.
TL;DR: Policy recommendations emerging from this research include recognizing reductions in childhood obesity as a potential added benefit of social safety net programmes that reduce financial stress among families and helping children build resources and capacities to teach them how to cope effectively with stressor exposure.
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Toward a Developmental Conceptualization of Contributors to Overweight and Obesity in Childhood: The Six‐Cs Model
Kristen Harrison,Kelly K. Bost,Brent A. McBride,Sharon M. Donovan,Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint,Juhee Kim,Janet M. Liechty,Angela R. Wiley,Margarita Teran-Garcia,Gwen Costa Jacobsohn +9 more
TL;DR: This article reviews select genetic and environmental factors influencing childhood overweight and obesity, then explicates an ecological model mapping these and other factors, and discusses the model’s policy relevance and important next steps for transdisciplinary research concerning child overweight and Obesity.
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