General parenting, childhood overweight and obesity-inducing behaviors: a review

E.F. Sleddens*, S.M. Gerards, C. Thijs, N.K. de Vries, S.P. Kremers

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Abstract Despite emerging efforts to investigate the influence parents have on their children's weight status and related dietary and activity behaviors, reviews regarding the role of general parenting are lacking. We performed a systematic review regarding the relationship between general parenting and these weight-related outcomes to guide observational research. In total, 36 studies were included. Discrepancies across studies were found, which may be explained by differences in conceptualization of parenting constructs. Overall, however, results suggest that children raised in authoritative homes ate more healthily, were more physically active and had lower BMI levels, compared to children who were raised with other styles (authoritarian, permissive/indulgent, uninvolved/neglectful). Findings of some moderation studies indicate that general parenting has a differential impact on children's weight-related outcomes, depending on child and parental characteristics. These findings underline the importance of acknowledging interactions between general parenting and both child and parent characteristics, as well as behavior-specific parenting practices.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)E12-E27
Number of pages16
JournalInternational Journal of Pediatric Obesity
Volume6
Issue number2-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2011

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • body mass index
  • child
  • child preschool
  • diet
  • motor activity
  • parent-child relations
  • parenting
  • review
  • sedentary lifestyle
  • CHILDRENS FOOD-CONSUMPTION
  • PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY
  • FEEDING PRACTICES
  • WEIGHT STATUS
  • AUTHORITY QUESTIONNAIRE
  • MOTIVATIONAL MODEL
  • YOUNG ADOLESCENTS
  • STYLES
  • FAMILY
  • PATTERNS

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