Deakin University
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Associations between parental concern for adolescent weight and the home food environment and dietary intake

journal contribution
posted on 2010-05-01, 00:00 authored by Abbie Macfarlane, David CrawfordDavid Crawford, Tony WorsleyTony Worsley
Objective: Examine associations between parental concern about adolescent weight and adolescent perceptions of their dietary intake, home food availability, family mealtime environment, and parents' feeding practices.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Adolescents, aged 12-15 years from 37 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia, and their parents completed surveys in 2004-2005.

Participants: 1,448 adolescent–parent pairs.

Main Outcome Measures:
Parental concern about adolescent weight; adolescent perceptions of their food intake and home food environment.

Analysis: Chi-square tests, exploratory factor analysis, independent t tests (P < .01).

Results: Although 12% of parents perceived their adolescent as overweight, 27% were concerned about their adolescent's weight (under- or overweight). Adolescents of concerned parents reported lower intakes of energy-dense snacks and less home availability of these food items, and they perceived that their parents less often listened to and considered their food preferences when shopping and cooking, than did adolescents of unconcerned parents. Concerned parents were no more likely to provide fruits and vegetables in the home or a positive family mealtime environment than unconcerned parents, at least as reported by their adolescents.

Conclusions and Implications:
Parental concern about adolescent weight was associated with lower intakes of energy-dense snacks among adolescents, less home availability of these food items, and less supportive parental feeding practices. Parents should be encouraged to listen to and consider their adolescents' food preferences, and provide supportive family mealtime environments and healthful food in the home.

History

Journal

Journal of nutrition education and behavior

Volume

42

Issue

3

Season

May-June

Pagination

152 - 160

Publisher

Decker

Location

Hamilton, Ont.

ISSN

1499-4046

eISSN

1878-2620

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2010, Society For Nutrition Education