Parents of Preschoolers: Weight‐Related Cognitions and Behaviors

Abstract

Parents are gatekeepers of the home environment; their weight‐related cognitions and behaviors have a strong likelihood of affecting child growth, development, and body fatness. The purpose of this study was to benchmark weight‐related (diet, physical activity [PA], and sleep) cognitions and behaviors of 702 parents of preschool children (ages 2 to 5 years) at the outset of their participation in the HomeStyles childhood obesity prevention randomized controlled trial via survey. Participants were 92% female, 58% white, aged 32.40±5.78SD years. Analysis of parent dietary behaviors showed limited fruit/vegetable intake (21.51±8.44SD on a 0–56 point scale); intake from sugar sweetened beverages was 101.77±117.03SD calories/day and percent calories from fat was 37.07±6.18. Parents reported eating family meals 12.82±4.84SD times/week (most frequently dinner followed by breakfast) with most meals (4.83±2.35 days/week) eaten at a dining table, but were ambivalent about planning family meals (3.45±1.03SD) and expending effort to prepare meals (3.55±0.90SD). An examination of diet‐related cognitions using 5‐point scales revealed that parents felt family meals were important (4.38±0.70SD), rated their family meals as calm (4.02±0.90SD), were fairly neutral about the importance of modeling healthy eating to their children (3.63±0.78SD), and tended to not pressure children to eat (2.33±1.00SD) or use food to reward children for desired behavior (2.43±0.79SD). Parent PA behaviors were low, averaging 15.9±9.99SD on a 0–42 point scale with 85% of parents exceeding the 2 hour recommended daily screentime limit. With regard to PA cognitions, 5‐point scale results indicated that parents felt it was important to model PA to children (3.92±0.83SD) but scored lower on actually modeling PA behavior (3.25±1.27SD) and engaging in PA with children (3.69±1.84SD) despite reporting fairly good access to PA opportunities in and around their homes (3.59±0.63SD) and strongly agreeing there were many health benefits to exercising (4.43±0.60SD). Results indicate that parents barely met minimum recommendations for sleep (7.08+1.27SD hours/night) and reported only moderate sleep quality (3.21+0.91SD; 5‐point scale). Parents tended to disagree that they were concerned about their children's risk for becoming overweight (2.07±1.06SD). Parents’ weight‐related cognitions and behaviors coupled with their limited concern about overweight risk in children indicate important opportunities for promoting simple changes in the home environment that may help protect family health and well‐being.Support or Funding InformationUSDA NIFA #2011‐68001‐30170