Published in:
01-06-2011 | Original Article
Examining the Relationships Between Family Meal Practices, Family Stressors, and the Weight of Youth in the Family
Authors:
Leslie A. Lytle, Ph.D., R.D., Mary O. Hearst, Ph.D., M.P.H., Jayne Fulkerson, Ph.D., David M. Murray, Ph.D., Brian Martinson, Ph.D., Elizabeth Klein, Ph.D., Keryn Pasch, Ph.D., M.P.H., Anne Samuelson, M.P.H.
Published in:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine
|
Issue 3/2011
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Abstract
Background
Research is limited on how the social environment of the home is related to childhood obesity.
Purpose
The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between positive family meal practices, family stressors, and the weight of youth and to examine parental weight status as a moderator of these relationships.
Methods
The study enrolled 368 parent/child dyads from a Minnesota sample. We used mediation analysis to examine the associations
Results
Families represented by an overweight parent reported fewer positive family meal practices (p < 0.001), higher levels of depression (p = 0.01), and fewer family rules (p = 0.02) as compared to families represented by a healthy weight parent. For overweight parents, positive family meal practices mediated the relationship between some family stressors and child weight.
Conclusions
This research suggests that the home environment may affect the weight of children in the family, and the effect is more pronounced in families with at least one overweight parent.