Parental Factors Contributing to Childhood Obesity Jennifer L
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Ithaca College Digital Commons @ IC Ithaca College Theses 2003 Parental factors contributing to childhood obesity Jennifer L. Miner Ithaca College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ic_theses Part of the Exercise Science Commons Recommended Citation Miner, Jennifer L., "Parental factors contributing to childhood obesity" (2003). Ithaca College Theses. Paper 182. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ IC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ithaca College Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ IC. PARENTAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CHILDH00D OBESITY A Master's'Thesis presetrted to the Faculty of the Graduate Program in Exercise and Sport Sciences Ithaca College In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science by Jennifer L. Miner September 2003 Ithaca College School ofHealth Sciences and Hllman PerfollllanCe lthaca,New York CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL MASTER OF SCIENCE THESIS ' ,his is to certifY that the thesis of Jennifer L. Miner Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance at Ithaca College has been approved. Thesis Adviso Committee M Candidate: Chair, Graduate Prog Dean of Grad 11 ABSTRACT behavior and This study evaluated the contribution of parental factors related to eating instrument physical activity level on the development of childhood obesity. The survey parental was designed to assess parent and child eating behavior and physical activity, toward their control of child eating behavior and physical activity, and parental attitudes physical Parents (N: own and their child's weight status, eating behavior, and activity' children. Target 127) completed the 92 question survey for themselves and the target or fourth graders children were between the ages of 7 and 11, and were second, third, state of New York' Data from one of five elementary schools in Tompkins County in the The relationship was collected on 127 parent-child pairs, for a return rate of l3o/o. (BMI) and physical activity between direct measures of parent and child body mass index likelihood that overweight level (pAL) were not significant. However, there was a higher weight children' parents had overweight children and normal weight parents had normal fruit, vegetables, Children of parents classified as "healthy" eaters ate significantly more guide pyramid than children of and protein at recommended levels based on the food ,,unhealthy" eaters. All children ate sweets at higher than recommended levels who ate snack independent of parent eating behaviors. Overweight parents had children had a food more frequently at meals than children of normal weight parents. Parents .,more negative" attitude toward their own and their child's eating behavior when it was and their classified as "unhealthy", illd a "more positive" attitude towards their own attitude child,s eating behavior when it was classified as "healthy". Similarly, as parent toward their PAL was "more positive", energy expenditure (kcal/day) was higher. the However, the relationship between parental attitude toward their child's PAL and their child,s energy expenditure (kcal/day) was insignificant. Parents accurately assessed (S7l103) correctly weight status as normal weight or overweight. Although most parents classified their children as norrnal weight or overwei dht, 94oh of the misclassifications When parent included parents who perceived their overweight child as normal weight. high, child pressure to eat and participation in physical activities with their child were BMI. BMI was low. A child's actual eating behavior was not related to the child's Conclusions. Parents did not appear to have an adequate understanding of what Parents constitutes a healthy body composition and physical activity level for their child. parents unhealthy recognized the quality of their child's eating behaviors, however, of whose parents were eaters allowed their children to eat an unhealthy diet. Children foods that are unhealthy eaters appeared to consume more of their daily calories from typically higher in fat, and less from fruits and vegetables. Parents were either unaware or unconcemed with reconrmendations regarding sweets consumption. Overweight Parent parents appeared to model the consumption of high fat foods for their children. participation in physical activity with their child promoted a healthy body composition in parents the child. child weight status was influenced by parent weight status. overall, appeared to be modeling several behaviors and attitudes that influenced the development of obesity in their child. Thus, it is imperative to educate parents and perhaps alter their behaviors and attitudes in ways that promote the achievement of healthy body composition, eating behaviors, and PAL's in themselves and their children. lV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following people for their assistance with this project: Dr. Betsy Keller, for her support, enthusiasm, and guidance throughout this entire project. Dr. Janet Wigglesworth, for her guidance, insight, and statistical expertise. All127 parents/guardians from Tompkins County who took the time to participate in this studY. My family and friends, for their support' Last, but not least, my fianc6, for his daily support, patience, and help throughout every phase ofthis Project. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT lll ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V Xl一l‐ LIST OF TABLES ・ 洲 LIST OF FIGURES. Chapter 1 I. INTRODUCTION 3 Rationale 4 Statement of the Problem 4 Research Questions Delimitations .... 5 Limitations 6 AssumPtions .... 6 Definition of Terms. 6 Body Weight Related Telュ ニls.… ………………………………………・・… 7 Eating Related Telllls.… ..… ………………………………………………… 8 Physical Activity Related Tc111ls.… ……………………………………… 9 2.REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9 Physiology of Weight Regulation 0 Parental Control of Feeding 3 Eating Behavior Vl TABLE OF CONTENTS(continued) Page Chapter Restraint and Disinhibition.… …………………………………・・………… 13 Nut五 ent lntake.… …………..… ……・……・……・……。…・……・…・……・…・ 14 15 Adiposity.… .… 。….… Ⅲ…・…・…・…・…・…。…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・… Physical Activity… ……………………………………………………… 16 19 Sllmmary。 ….… .… .…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・… ・ 20 3.METHODS.… …………………………・・………・:.… ………………………………………………………… Subjects 20 Design 21 Survey Instrument DemograPhics ... 22 Eating Behaviors 22 Parental Control of Feeding 22 Physical ActivitY 23 Parental Attitudes 24 2 6 Data Management 2 8 Data Analysis.... 2 8 Research Question 1 2 9 Research Question 2 3 0 Research Question 3 つ J Research Question 4 Vll TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Chapter Page Research Question 5 ..... 31 Summary 31 3 5 4.RESULTS 3 5 Introduction. Demographics..... 35 Relationship Between Parent-Child Characteristics 40 Parent BMI versus Child BMI . 40 Parent PAL versus Child PAL. 43 Parent Eating Behavior versus Child Eating Pattern 43 Summary of the Relationship Between Parent-Child Relationship Between Parent Attitude and Child Characteristics .. .. 49 Parent Attitude versus Child Eating Behavior 49 Parent Attitude versus Child PAL 50 Parent Attitude versus Child BMI . 50 Parent Attitude versus Child BMI Classification' 53 Summary of the Relationship Between Parent Attitude 5 3 and Child Characteristics ... 5 5 Relationship Between Parent Attitude and Characteristics Parent Attitude versus Parent Eating Behavior 55 Vlll ― | TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Chapter Parent Attitude versus Parent PAL . 55 Parent Attitude versus Parent BMI . 56 Parent Attitude versus Parent BMI Group 56 Summary of the Relationship Between Parent Attitude and Characteristics 56 Relationship Between Parental Control and Child Characteristics'.. 58 Parental control versus child Eating Behavior and BMI .. .. 58 Parental Control versus Child PAL and BMI . 58 Summary of the Relationship Between Parental Control and Child Characteristics . -. 59 Relationship Between Child Eating Behavior Group and Child 59 PAL and BMI.… ………..… ……・ Summary of the Relationship Between Child Eating Behavior Group and Child PAL and BMI 60 60 Sll― ary… .… .… .… .…・・・・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…・…。…・…・…・…・…・…・…・ 5.DISCUSSION.… ..… ………・・………………………・・……・・……………………………・・…・ 64 64 Introduction.… 。….… ..・・…・…・…・・・・…・…・…・…・・・・…・…・・・・…。…・…・…・…・… 6 5 Relationship Betwecn Parent… Child Characteristics.… …..… …………‥・ 6 5 Parent BMI Versus Child BMI.‥ ‥.… .… ……・・・・……………………・ Parent PAL versus Child PAL.… …………………………………………・ 67 lX TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Chapter Parent Eating Behavior versus Child Eating Pattern 68 7 1 Relationship Between Parent Attitude and Child Characteristics .... 7 1 Parent Attitude versus Child Eating Behavior 2 7 Parent Attitude versus Child PAL . 74 Parent Attitude versus Child BMI . 7 4 Parent Attitude versus Child BMI Classification' 7 8 Relationship Between Parent Attitude and characteristics 7 8 Parent Attitude vetsus Parent Eating Behavior 7 8 Parent Attitude versus Parent PAL . 7 9 Parent Attitude versus Parent BMI . Parent Attitude versus Parent BMI Group 80 Relationship Between Parental Control and Child Characteristics... 81 . Parental control versus child Eating Behavior and BMI .... 81 Parental Control versus Child PAL and BMI. 83 Relationship Between Child Eating Behavior Group and Child 85 PAL and BMI.… …. Summary 89 92 6。 SUMMARY,CONCLUSIONS,AND RECOMMENDATIONS.… ……… Summary 92 Concluding Remarks 94 X TABLE OF CONTENTS(continued) Page Chapter 97 Recommendations 100 REFERENCES.… ……………………・・…………… APPENDICES 0 8 A. INFORMED CONSENT FORM.…