<p class="Pa7"><strong>Objectives: </strong>Our pilot study was conducted to test the reliability of the Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) and the Family Nutrition and Physical Activ­ity Assessment (FNPA) in a sample of Arab mothers.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Design: </strong>Twenty-five Arab mothers com­pleted the CFSQ, FNPA, and the Participant Background Survey for the first administra­tion. After 1-2 weeks, participants complet­ed the CFSQ and the FNPA for the second administration. The two administrations of the surveys allowed for test/retest reliability of the CFSQ and the FNPA and to measure the internal consistency of the two surveys.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Results: </strong>Pearson’s correlation between the first and second administrations or the 19- item scale (demandingness) and the 7-item scale (responsiveness) of the CFSQ were .95 and .86, respectively. As for the FNPA, Pearson’s correlation was .80. The estimated reliabilities (Cronbach’s alpha) of the CFSQ increased from .86 for the first administra­tion to .93 for the second administration. However, the estimated reliabilities of the FNPA slightly increased from .58 for first administration to .59 for the second admin­istration.</p><p class="Pa5"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In our pilot study of Arab mothers, the CFSQ and FNPA were shown to be promising in terms of reliability and content validity. <em>Ethn Dis.</em>2015;25(4):463- 468; doi:10.18865/ed.25.4.463</p>

This study aimed to measure the extent to which Saudi young adults used social media as a source for nutrition information and assess the perception of those networks on their dietary behaviors. The study also investigated the association between participants' socio-economic variables, social media variables, and body mass index. A cross-sectional survey was used and distributed via social media. This study included 228 participants (20-24 years old) who lived in AL-Ahssa Province. Over 50% of the participants were single females with bachelor's degrees. Among the participants, 70% were interested in increasing their nutrition knowledge, and 95% agreed that they obtained their nutrition information through social media. The participants surfed social media for at least one hour per day. Over 70% responded that exposure to social media had influenced their dietary behaviors (adopting new positive dietary behaviors, including selecting healthy foods and reading nutrition labels). Instagram was the most used application of all social media networks, with over 50% of the participants following 2-4 Instagram accounts related to nutrition. A majority of participants (78%) preferred obtaining nutrition information through visual methods, such as videos (49.1%) and infographic images (28.9%). Challenges to using nutrition information on social media were unproven or misleading topics and provided by non-nutrition experts. Social media may therefore be an effective tool to increase nutrition awareness and assist in disseminating nutrition intervention programs by nutrition educators and experts.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of parenting styles and family contributors on physical activity behaviors in Arab children living in the US. This mixed-method study included the Caregiver's Feeding Style Questionnaire (CFSQ), Family Nutrition Physical Activity (FNPA) survey, and five focus group discussions (FGD), guided by the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Twenty-three Arab mothers of 37 children aged 6-10 years old participated in this study. Seventeen mothers were overweight or obese, and six children were overweight or obese. Although all Arab mothers self-assessed that they were authoritative, only seven mothers were categorized as having an authoritative feeding style based on their CFSQ scores. The FNPA overall mean was 3.15, indicating less obesogenic family environments and behaviors. Across FGDs, common physical activity barriers included lack of time, the child being distracted by technology, and lack of a mother's interest in a child's physical activity due to culture and fear. Positive approaches included considering the child's interest in sports and involvement in physical activity with the child. Negative attitudes included pushing the child to do sports and the mother's lack of interest in physical activity. In correlation analyses, the mother's BMI was significantly correlated with the child's BMI z-scores (r = 0.325, p = 0.005). No significant associations were found between reported feeding styles (CFSQ), obesogenic family environments (FNPA), and child's BMI z-scores. This study can guide future efforts in developing effective education programs, including physical activity behaviors for Arab families.

Parenting styles and family contributors are the main determinants of obesity risk in children. To date, no research has been reported on parenting styles/practices and family contributors to the development of dietary behaviors in Arab children living in the US. The objectives of this exploratory mixed-method study were to collect data on parenting feeding styles (Caregiver's Feeding Style Questionnaire-CFSQ) of Arab mothers and family contributors (Family Nutrition Physical Activity-FNPA) to the development of dietary behaviors in their children; and to collect data on Arab mothers' challenges and strategies to promote healthier dietary behaviors in their children. Although all Arab mothers (n=23) self-assessed that they were authoritative, only seven mothers were categorized as having an authoritative feeding style based on their CFSQ scores. The FNPA overall mean was 3.15, indicating less obesogenic family environment and behaviors. Across focus groups, barriers to desirable dietary intake included low vegetable intake and child being distracted by sweets, junk foods, and technology. All mothers wanted their children to have healthier dietary habits and used positive and negative approaches to achieve that. Positive approaches included no pressure to eat and providing healthier alternative foods. Negative approaches included pressuring the child to eat and rewarding with sweets and technology. In correlation analyses, the mother's BMI was significantly correlated with the child's BMI zscores (r = 0.325, p = 0.005). This study can guide future efforts in assessing parenting style and assessing the home environment regarding the dietary behaviors of Arab families.