Objective: The objective of this study was to identify associations in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and high blood pressure between children and their parents, as well as their eating and physical patterns.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we obtained data on 83 pairs of school-aged children and one of their parents relating to dietary habits and various physical parameters, including the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure of the children, which were adjusted by age and gender. Both the children and the parents were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at providing measures of eating behavior. The questions focused on the consumption of fruit and vegetables and soda drinks as well as on physical activity patterns. Parent BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight values.
Results: Obesity was diagnosed in 10.8% of the children, and the prevalence of overweight was 28.9%. There was a relationship between a child's weight status and that of his/her parent according to the BMI; 45% of overweight/obese children had overweight/obese parents. In addition, a parent's fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with his/her child's fruit and vegetable consumption (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), and both were associated with soda drink consumption in both parents and children (r = 0.30, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Our results confirmed that there is a relationship between the weight status, fruit and vegetable consumption and soda drink intake of children and those of their parents.