Abstract
BackgroundParents influence their children’s obesity risk through feeding behaviours and modeling of weight-related behaviours. Little is known about how the general home environment, including parental stress, may influence children’s weight. The objective of this study was to explore the association between parenting stress and child body mass index (BMI) as well as obesity risk factors, physical activity and television (TV) viewing.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from 110 parent–child dyads participating in a community-based parenting intervention. Child heights and weights were measured by trained research assistants. Parents (93% mothers) reported level of parenting stress via the Parenting Stress Index- Short Form (PSI-3-SF) as well as children’s activity behaviours and TV viewing. This was an ethnically diverse (55% Hispanic/Latino, 22% Black), low-income (64% earning < $45,000/year) sample.ResultsLevel of parenting stress was not associated with children’s risk of being overweight/obese. Children with highly stressed parents were less likely to meet physical activity guidelines on weekdays than children with normally stressed parents (OR = 0.33, 95% CI, 0.12-0.95). Parents experiencing high stress were less likely to set limits on the amount of TV their children watched (OR = 0.32, 95% CI, 0.11, 0.93).ConclusionResults suggest stress specific to parenting may not be associated with increased obesity risk among children. However, future interventions may need to address stress as a possible underlying factor associated with unhealthful behaviours among preschoolers.
Highlights
Parents influence their children’s obesity risk through feeding behaviours and modeling of weight-related behaviours
Research suggests that high parenting stress may lead to increased obesity risk among children in two ways, 1) triggering the child’s own physiological response to stress and 2) parent stress may lead to compromised parenting which promotes unhealthful behaviours
Parents scored an average of 28.4 ± 10.69 on the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF) parent distress subscale, which categorized 20% as experiencing high levels of stress
Summary
Parents influence their children’s obesity risk through feeding behaviours and modeling of weight-related behaviours. Intrapersonal factors such as diet and physical activity habits, along with certain parental characteristics and behaviours (e.g. parental obesity, parent feeding behaviours, parenting style), are known to increase obesity risk [2,3]. Parenting stress may influence children’s weight-related behaviours; parents experiencing higher levels of stress may feel they lack the time or energy to be physically active with their children or to model such active behaviours [11]. These stressed parents may cope by keeping their children occupied watching television [3]
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