Cross-sectional associations between maternal self-efficacy and dietary intake and physical activity in four-year-old children of first-time Swedish mothers

Jeanett Friis Rohde; Benjamin Bohman; Daniel Berglind; Lena M Hansson; Peder Frederiksen; Erik Lykke Mortensen; Berit Lilienthal Heitmann; Finn Rasmussen

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.026

Cross-sectional associations between maternal self-efficacy and dietary intake and physical activity in four-year-old children of first-time Swedish mothers

Appetite. 2018 Jun 1:125:131-138. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.026. Epub 2018 Feb 3.

Authors

Jeanett Friis Rohde¹, Benjamin Bohman², Daniel Berglind³, Lena M Hansson⁴, Peder Frederiksen⁵, Erik Lykke Mortensen⁶, Berit Lilienthal Heitmann⁷, Finn Rasmussen⁸

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit for Dietary Studies at the Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Street 8, Entrance 11, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark; Department of Research and Development, Health Science, University College UCC, Carlsbergvej 14, 3400 Hillerød, Denmark. Electronic address: Jeanett.friis.rohde@regionh.dk.
² Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Psychiatric Research, Stockholm Health Care Services, Liljeholmstorget 7 B, 117 63 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: benjamin.bohman@ki.se.
³ Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Widerströmska Huset, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: Daniel.Berglind@ki.se.
⁴ Department for Knowledge-Based Policy of Health Care, The National Board of Health and Welfare, 106 30 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: lena.hansson@socialstyrelsen.se.
⁵ Research Unit for Dietary Studies at the Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Street 8, Entrance 11, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark. Electronic address: peder.frederiksen@regionh.dk.
⁶ Department of Public Health and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. Electronic address: elme@sund.ku.dk.
⁷ Research Unit for Dietary Studies at the Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Street 8, Entrance 11, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark; The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5 A, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: berit.lilienthal.heitmann@regionh.dk.
⁸ Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Box 117, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: finn.evald.rasmussen@gmail.com.

PMID: 29408332
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.026

Abstract

Background: Healthy dietary and physical activity behaviours are established early in life where children learn by observing their parents. Therefore, parents can act as role models and influence their children toward a healthier lifestyle. Besides a strong association between parental and child health behaviours, parents also influence their children's health behaviours through socio-cognitive processes, where perceived self-efficacy is the central component. The objective was to examine if parental self-efficacy among Swedish mothers was associated with their four-year-old children's dietary and physical activity behaviours.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on information from control participants that took part in the Swedish primary prevention trial of childhood obesity (PRIMROSE) (n = 420 mother-child pairs). Linear regression models were used to examine the associations between parental self-efficacy (Parental Self-Efficacy for Promoting Healthy Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviours in Children Scale) and children's dietary intake (parent reported) and levels of physical activity (accelerometer) with adjustments for potential confounders.

Results: Mothers' efficacy beliefs in promoting healthy dietary or physical activity behaviours in their children were associated with a slightly higher consumption of fruit and vegetables among their children (β: 0.03 [95%CI: 0.01; 0.04] P < 0.001) and slightly higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous activity (β: 0.43 [95%CI: 0.05; 0.81] P = 0.03). Mothers' belief in their ability to limit unhealthy dietary and physical activity behaviours was inversely associated with children's intake of unhealthy snacks (β: -0.06 [95%CI: -0.10; -0.02] P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Our cross-sectional study suggests weak positive correlations between maternal self-efficacy and healthy dietary and physical activity behaviours, and weak inverse associations between maternal self-efficacy and unhealthy dietary and physical activity behaviours among their children.

Keywords: Child; Diet; Health behaviour; Physical activity; Self efficacy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Child Behavior
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet / psychology*
Exercise / psychology*
Feeding Behavior / psychology*
Female
Health Behavior
Humans
Male
Mother-Child Relations
Mothers / psychology*
Self Efficacy*
Sweden