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Preadolescents’ and Parents’ Dietary Coping Efficacy During Behavioral Family-Based Weight Control Treatment

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Abstract

Developmentally relevant high-risk dietary situations (e.g., parties where tempting foods are available) may influence overweight youth’s weight control, as they increase risk for overeating. Better self-efficacy for coping with these situations—which preadolescents may learn from their parents—could foster successful weight control. Overweight preadolescents (N = 204) ages 7–12 years (67% female), each with one parent, separately completed the Hypothetical High-Risk Situation Inventory (HHRSI) pre- and post-weight loss treatment. The HHRSI assesses temptation to overeat and confidence in refraining from overeating in response to four high-risk dietary scenarios. Participants generated coping strategies for each scenario. Coping strategies and confidence increased and temptation decreased from pre- to post-weight loss treatment. Parents’ increase in confidence from pre- to post-treatment was associated with preadolescents’ and parents’ weight loss. Tailoring treatments to enhance parents’ coping skills (e.g., building strategies, targeting high temptation/low confidence scenarios) may maximize preadolescents’ weight control.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NIH grants R01HD036904 (NICHD), K24MH070446 (NIMH), T32HL007456 (NHLBI), and 5R01HD036904-07 (NICHD) to DEW, and RIS was supported by NIH grants KL2RR024994 and UL1RR024992.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Denise E. Wilfley.

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Theim, K.R., Sinton, M.M., Stein, R.I. et al. Preadolescents’ and Parents’ Dietary Coping Efficacy During Behavioral Family-Based Weight Control Treatment. J Youth Adolescence 41, 86–97 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9728-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9728-5

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