Elsevier

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 47, Issue 3, September 2010, Pages 263-269
Journal of Adolescent Health

Original article
Parent and Family Associations With Weight-Related Behaviors and Cognitions Among Overweight Adolescents

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.02.009Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

To examine parent and family variables in relation to adolescent weight-control and eating behaviors, body satisfaction, and importance of thinness among overweight adolescents.

Methods

This study examined parent-reported use of weight-control behaviors (i.e., healthy and unhealthy behaviors, behavioral changes, other diet strategies), parent psychosocial functioning (i.e., depression, self-esteem, body satisfaction, importance of thinness), and family functioning (i.e., cohesion and adaptability) in relation to adolescent weight-control and eating behaviors, body satisfaction, and importance of thinness. Surveys were completed by 103 overweight (body mass index, ≥85th percentile) adolescents (aged 12–20 yr), and their parents. Height and weight were also measured. Linear regression equations were used for continuous outcomes and logistic regression equations for dichotomous outcomes.

Results

Adolescent report of lower body satisfaction and engagement in more “severe” or less healthy forms of weight-control behavior were associated with parent weight-control behaviors. Adolescent report of overeating was associated with lower scores of family cohesion and adaptability. Adolescent report of lower body satisfaction was positively associated with parent report of body satisfaction and self-esteem. Adolescent report of greater importance placed on thinness was associated with parent report of lower self-esteem.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that several parent and family variables are associated with weight-control behaviors, episodes of overeating, and body satisfaction and importance of thinness among overweight adolescents. Parent weight-control behaviors and adolescent cognitions about body image may be important variables to target within intervention research and treatment programs for overweight youth.

Section snippets

Participants

Data from the present study were drawn from the Successful Adolescent Weight Losers (SAL) study, a descriptive study of 130 overweight adolescents who lost weight and those who did not. Participants were recruited using public marketing strategies (e.g., flyers, advertisements) from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Study procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Minnesota. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Because the aim of the present

Parent weight-control behaviors

Parent weight-control behaviors, specifically parent use of ODC, were associated with adolescent engagement in UWCB and BCS (Table 1). Parent use of ODC was associated with a 2.5 increase likelihood of adolescents using at least one UWCB, and an almost three times increased likelihood of adolescents using at least one BCS. Parent use of HWCB, UWCB, and ODC were all associated with lower adolescent body satisfaction, and parent use of HWCB was associated with greater adolescent report of the

Discussion

The present study examined associations between parent weight-control behaviors, psychosocial functioning, and family functioning and adolescent weight-control and eating behaviors and cognitions related to body satisfaction and importance of thinness among a group of overweight adolescents and their parents. As hypothesized, associations were found between parent weight-control behaviors and adolescent weight-control behaviors, but not all weight-control behaviors reported by parents were

Acknowledgments

Supported by University of Minnesota Children's Vikings Grant.

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