Familial Environment and Overweight/Obese Adolescents’ Physical Activity

Carbert Carbert,Geller Geller,Brussoni Brussoni,Mâsse Mâsse

doi:10.3390/ijerph16142558

Abstract

(1) Background: Family environments can impact obesity risk among adolescents. Little is known about the mechanisms by which parents can influence obesity-related adolescent health behaviours and specifically how parenting practices (e.g., rules or routines) and/or their own health behaviours relate to their adolescent’s behaviours. The primary aim of the study explored, in a sample of overweight/obese adolescents, how parenting practices and/or parental modeling of physical activity (PA) behaviours relate to adolescents’ PA while examining the moderating role of parenting styles and family functioning. (2) Methods: A total of 172 parent-adolescent dyads completed surveys about their PA and wore an accelerometer for eight days to objectively measure PA. Parents completed questionnaires about their family functioning, parenting practices, and styles (authoritative and permissive). Path analysis was used for the analyses. (3) Results: More healthful PA parenting practices and parental modeling of PA were both associated with higher levels of adolescents’ self-reported moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). For accelerometer PA, more healthful PA parenting practices were associated with adolescents’ increased MVPA when parents used a more permissive parenting style. (4) Conclusions: This study suggests that parenting practices and parental modeling play a role in adolescent’s PA. The family’s emotional/relational context also warrants consideration since parenting style moderated these effects. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating parenting styles into current familial interventions to improve their efficacy.

Highlights

Over the last three decades, a marked increase in the prevalence of overweight or obeseCanadian adolescents has raised concerns [1,2]
(4) Conclusions: This study suggests that parenting practices and parental modeling play a role in adolescent’s physical activity (PA)
When the moderators were included in the model, the interaction term between permissive style and PA parenting practices became significant

Summary

Introduction

Canadian adolescents has raised concerns [1,2] To help manage this ongoing problem, research suggests that engaging in positive health behaviours such as increased physical activity (PA) among other behaviours can act as a protective factor against obesity [3,4]. Adoption of these weight-related health behaviours can be impacted by a number of proximal influences, including the family environment [5]. In particular, can influence their children directly through parenting practices (i.e., rules or routines) and their own health behaviours, such as modeling PA.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion