Perceived parenting behaviors may predict young adolescents’ body fatness

Abstract

The prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents has been increasing. Not only individual but also environmental factors are important in the etiology of overweight or obesity. Of the environmental factors, parents have been considered to be the greatest influence on a child's dietary behavior and body weight status. Parenting styles and their relevant dimensions have long been found to be associated with adolescents’ developmental outcomes, but little is known about associations between perceived parenting behaviors and adolescents’ body fatness. The present study examined adolescents’ perceptions of parenting behaviors and measures of body fatness. The randomly selected study sample consisted of 106 13–15 year olds from Houston MSA. Parenting style variables were created statistically including by cluster analysis and factor analysis. Indicators of body fatness included body weight, waist circumference, skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI). A two-cluster solution for both maternal and paternal parenting style represented authoritative versus non-authoritative parenting. Two parenting factors derived were maternal/paternal nurturing and control. Maternal authoritative parenting style was associated with having adolescents who are less fat. Maternal control was positively associated with adolescents’ body weight, waist, subscapular skinfold, BMI and the tendency to be overweight. Maternal nurturing was related to BMI in the “normal” category. None of paternal parenting styles or dimensions appeared to be significantly related to adolescents’ body fatness.