Moderating effects of family environment on overweight/obese adolescents' dietary behaviours

Nicole S Carbert; Mariana Brussoni; Josie Geller; Louise C Mâsse

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.034

Moderating effects of family environment on overweight/obese adolescents' dietary behaviours

Appetite. 2019 Mar 1:134:69-77. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.034. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Authors

Nicole S Carbert¹, Mariana Brussoni², Josie Geller³, Louise C Mâsse⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada. Electronic address: ncarbert@bcchr.ubc.ca.
² School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Canada.
³ St. Paul's Hospital Eating Disorders Program, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Canada.
⁴ School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada.

PMID: 30590079
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.034

Abstract

Background: The familial environment can influence adolescents' risk for obesity. However, we do not fully understand the mechanisms through which parents can influence overweight/obese adolescents' dietary behaviours, specifically whether parenting practices (e.g., rules or routines) and/or their own dietary behaviours are associated with their overweight/obese adolescent's dietary quality.

Objectives: This study examined whether parenting practices and/or parental modeling of dietary quality are associated with overweight/obese adolescents' dietary quality while considering the moderating effects of parenting styles and family functioning.

Methods: Baseline data from 172 overweight/obese adolescents and one of their parents who enrolled in a lifestyle modification intervention were analyzed [mean age = 13.1 (1.8); mean BMI z-score = 2.70 (0.83)]. Parent-adolescent dyads completed three 24-hr dietary recalls online. An index of dietary quality was computed by summing the scores for different food categories assessed in the dietary recall over 3 days. Parents completed questionnaires about their family functioning, dietary parenting practices (i.e., whether child eats breakfast everyday), and styles (authoritative and permissive). Path analysis was used to model interrelationships among the variables using the Stata software version 13.

Results: Parental modeling of dietary quality was significantly associated with adolescent dietary quality. Additionally, parenting styles significantly moderated parental modeling, such that an authoritative parenting style in conjunction with modeling healthy eating habits was associated with better adolescent dietary quality.

Conclusions: This work suggests that parental modeling of health behaviours is important; however, it is necessary to consider the broader emotional/relational context into which modeling is expressed since parenting styles moderated these effects. This study provides insight into how parenting styles may alter the effectiveness of parental modeling and highlights the need to account for parenting styles to improve the efficacy of current family-based interventions.

Keywords: Adolescent obesity; Dietary quality; Family functioning; Parental modeling; Parenting practices; Parenting styles.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior*
Adult
Aged
British Columbia
Child
Diet*
Female
Health Behavior*
Humans
Life Style
Male
Middle Aged
Parent-Child Relations
Parenting*
Pediatric Obesity
Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

CAPMC/ CIHR/Canada