Parenting styles, child BMI, and ratings of obesigenic environments in families of children age 5-11

Abstract

Background: The epidemic of childhood obesity is a multi-factorial problem but the child's home environment and parenting practices clearly play a role. This study evaluates the utility of a behaviorally based screening tool for evaluating practices and home environments. This study also seeks to determine if parenting styles influence parent and child environmental ratings and child BMI. Methods: 313 elementary students and 75 of their parents completed separate versions of the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) instrument. Parents also completed the Parenting Styles and Dimension Questionnaire (PSDQ), a 58 item survey that categorizes parenting practices into three styles: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. Body Mass Index (BMI) data was obtained by trained staff. Cronbach's alpha was run to check reliability of parent and child FNPA reports. Pearson product moment correlations among the parent and child FNPA scores were used to determine overall associations and parent-child agreement. Regression analyses were used to determine if parenting styles were related to FNPA and child BMI. Cluster analysis was also used to identify patterns in the PSDQ classifications that may be associated with particularly high or low FNPA scores. Results: Correlations between children's FNPA scores and parent scores were low (r = .188). Correlations between the Parent FNPA score and child BMI-z score was low (r =-.31) but statistically significant. Parents were more internally consistent in evaluating home environments. Older children were more consistent reporters than younger children. Cluster analysis revealed clear differences in associated FNPA scores. Less authoritative parenting was associated with more obesigenic environments. Less obesigenic environments were associated with authoritative parenting styles. Regression analysis shows iv that authoritative parenting was the best predictor of FNPA and no significant predictor was determined for child BMI. Conclusion: Parents and children differ in perceptions of their home environments and parenting style can alter parent ratings of the home environment.

Family Influence on Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Patterns in Oman

“…In a dissertation study, the alpha reliability score for the FNPA filled by the parents in English was 0.68. (Johnson, 2010) Cronbach's alpha in our study was (0.55).…”

The Evaluation of Parenting Styles of Children with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder

“…The authors of the study promote the use of verbal communication and emphasize the importance of explaining the rationale for their approach to the youngster [11]. The expectations of individuals are closely linked to the competence of their offspring [16].…”

“…Those parents do not give support and courage and believe that what they say should be accepted by the child as the truth. Although these parents have shortcomings in childcare, they have the attitudes of the highest level of parental control [16].…”

“…Parents facilitate the child's selfregulation to the greatest extent feasible, refrain from exerting excessive control, and discourage adherence to externally imposed norms [11]. While those parents have higher capabilities related to childcare, they have lower competencies to control their children's behaviour [16].…”

Study of the Relation between Parenting Style and Attitude with Physical Activity, Diet Behavior and Health of Children (10-13 Years): A Descriptive Cross - Sectional Study

“…Main categories of parenting styles are authoritarian, authoritative and permissive each category of parenting style was computed using total scores in each category. Parenting style is divided into 8 sub classes from the total scores obtained in each category like parents with low response to all parenting style, parents who are overall more permissive, parents who are overall more authoritarian, parents with stylistic dimension in both authoritarian and permissive, parents who are overall authoritative, parents with stylistic dimension in both authoritative and permissive, parents with stylistic dimension in both authoritative and authoritarian, and parents with stylistic dimension in all parenting style (Johnson, 2010).…”