Abstract
Background
Few studies have examined concordance/discordance between caregivers to identify whether
caregivers see familial and parental factors in the home environment similarly or
differently and whether the agreement or disagreement is related to adolescent obesity
risk. Answers to these questions are important and may inform whether family-based
childhood obesity interventions need to target both parents.
Objective
The main objective of the study was to examine whether and how parental concordance/discordance
on factors in the home environment (eg, importance of family meals, parent feeding
practices, encouraging child physical activity, and limit setting on child screen
time) are associated with adolescent health behaviors and weight status.
Design
Data from two linked population-based studies were used in cross-sectional analyses.
Linear regression models examined associations between parental concordance/discordance
on home environment factors and adolescents’ health behaviors and weight status.
Participant/settings
Racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse adolescents (n=1,052; 54% girls;
mean age=14.3 years) and their parents (n=2,104; 52% women; mean age=41.0 years) from
Minneapolis and St Paul, MN, participated in the study. Anthropometric assessments
and surveys were completed at school by adolescents and surveys were completed at
home by parents.
Results
Parental concordance on home environment factors was high for some factors (eg, 68%
concordance on not pressuring adolescent to eat) and low for other factors (eg, 2%
concordance on parent engaging in physically activity with child 4+ hours per week).
Parental concordance on positive home environment factors (eg, frequency of family
meals) was associated with more adolescent healthful eating patterns and hours of
physical activity (P<0.05), but not consistently. When parents were discordant, adolescents had higher
consumption of fast food and more unhealthy weight control behaviors (P<0.05), but not consistently.
Conclusions
Results suggest there is some degree of parental concordance on home environment factors;
however, the results were inconsistent and approximately one-third of parents were
discordant on these factors. Future research is needed to further examine the role
of parental concordance/discordance on adolescent health behaviors and weight status.
Keywords
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Biography
J. M. Berge is an associate professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.
Biography
K. A. Loth is an assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.
Biography
R. F. MacLehose is an associate professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Biography
C. Meyer is a PhD student, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Biography
D. Neumark-Sztainer is a professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Biography
K. Didericksen is an assistant professor, Department of Child Development and Family Relations, East Carolina University, Greenville.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 07, 2015
Accepted:
May 7,
2015
Received:
August 28,
2014
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This research was supported by grants no. R03 HD074677 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (coprincipal investigators: J. M. Berge and R. F. MacLehose), R01 HL093247 (principal investigator: D. Neumark-Sztainer), and R01 HL084064 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (principal investigator: D. Neumark-Sztainer). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; the National Cancer Institute; or the National Institutes of Health.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
