Parents as Role Models: Associations Between Parent and Young Children’s Weight, Dietary Intake, and Physical Activity in a Minority Sample

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal Vol. 23; no. 7; pp. 943 - 950
• Main Authors: Coto, Jennifer, Pulgaron, Elizabeth R., Graziano, Paulo A., Bagner, Daniel M., Villa, Manuela, Malik, Jamil A., Delamater, Alan M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.07.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Anthropometry - methods; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Child Behavior - psychology; Children & youth; Children of minorities; Diet; Exercise; Exercise - psychology; Exercise for children; Feasibility Studies; Feeding Behavior - psychology; Female; Food and nutrition; Gynecology; Health aspects; Humans; Low income groups; Male; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Obesity; Parental influences; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Pediatric research; Pediatrics; Physical fitness for children; Physiological aspects; Pilot Projects; Population Economics; Public Health; Role models; Sociology; United States; Dietary intake; Physical activity; Parental role modeling; Pediatric obesity
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1007/s10995-018-02722-z

Objective We examined the association between parent and child fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, physical activity (PA), and body mass index in an ethnic minority and low-income sample. Methods The study sample consisted of 86 children ages 5–7 years (80% Hispanic) and their parents. Three parent health variables (healthy weight, recommended F&V servings per day, and recommended weekly PA) were used to create a healthy role model index. Associations between the parent index and corresponding child health behaviors and weight were examined. Results Most parents (53.5%) were not healthy role models, 30.2% were limited healthy role models, 16.3% were good role models, and none were excellent role models; most parents and children did not meet guidelines for healthy weight, F&V intake, and PA. Parents who scored higher on the index were more likely to have children with higher levels of F&V. Furthermore, parents who had a healthy weight were 3.7 times more likely to have a child who had a healthy weight. Additionally, parents who were consuming the recommended servings of F&V per day were 10 times more likely to have children who were also consuming the recommended servings of F&V per day compared to parents who were not consuming the recommended servings of F&V per day. Conclusions for Practice  These findings suggest the important role of parental modeling of healthy behaviors to their young children among minority/low-income families. Parents may serve as an important mechanism of change for children’s health status by increasing their own healthy lifestyle behaviors.