Family Characteristics Have Limited Ability to Predict Weight Status of Young Children

• Published in: Journal of the American Dietetic Association Vol. 107; no. 7; pp. 1204 - 1209
• Main Authors: Gray, Virginia B., PhD, RD, Byrd, Sylvia H., PhD, RD, Cossman, Jeralynn S., PhD, Chromiak, Joseph, PhD, Cheek, Wanda K., PhD, Jackson, Gary B., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.07.2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Attitudes; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - physiology; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child Nutrition Sciences - education; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Educational Status; Elementary school students; Energy Intake; Exercise - physiology; Exercise - psychology; Families & family life; Family Characteristics; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Income; Internal Medicine; Logistic Models; Low income groups; Male; Marital Status; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Nutrition; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - psychology; Parenting - psychology; Parents & parenting; Parents - education; Parents - psychology; Poverty; Predictive Value of Tests; Social Environment; Weight control; Human; Preschool age; Ability; Nutrition; Family study; Characteristic; Family environment; Limit; Child; Public health; Weight
• ISSN: 0002-8223; 2212-2672; 1878-3570; 2212-2680
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2007.04.004

Abstract The ability of (a) family characteristics (marital status, income, race, and education), (b) parental control over child’s food intake, and (c) parental belief in causes of overweight to predict weight status of children was assessed. Parents/caretakers of elementary school−aged children were surveyed to determine attitudes related to childhood nutrition and overweight. Anthropometric measurements were obtained from children to determine weight status (n=169 matched surveys and measurements). χ2 tests and nested logistic regression models were used to determine relationships between children’s weight status and family characteristics, parental control, and parental belief in the primary cause of overweight. Low household income was an important predictor of overweight; marital status and race added no further explanatory power to the model. Parental control was not a significant predictor of overweight. Parental belief in the primary cause of overweight in children (diet vs physical activity) was significantly related to children’s weight; however, it was not significant after controlling for income. Low household income relates strongly to increased childhood weight status; therefore, school and government policies should promote an environment that supports affordable, safe, and feasible opportunities for healthful nutrition and physical activity, particularly for low-income audiences.