General Parenting Research Articles

The role of parents in public views of strategies to address childhood obesity in the United States.

POLICY POINTS: The American public--both men and women and those with and without children in the household--holds parents highly responsible and largely to blame for childhood obesity. High attributions of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity did not universally undermine support for broader policy action. School-based obesity prevention policies were strongly supported, even among those viewing parents as mostly to blame for childhood obesity. Americans who viewed sectors outside the family (such as the food and beverage industry, schools, and the government) as helping address childhood obesity were more willing to support a wider range of population-based obesity prevention policies. The public's views of parents' behaviors and choices--and the attitudes held by parents themselves--are likely to influence the success of efforts to reverse obesity rates. We analyzed data from 2 US national public opinion surveys fielded in 2011 and 2012 to examine attributions of blame and responsibility to parents for obesity, both among the general public and parents themselves, and we also explored the relationship between views of parents and support for obesity prevention policies. We found that attribution of blame and responsibility to parents was consistently high, regardless of parental status or gender. Support for policies to curb childhood obesity also did not differ notably by parental status or gender. Multivariable analyses revealed consistent patterns in the association between public attitudes toward parents' responsibility and support for policies to curb childhood obesity. High parental responsibility was linked to higher support for school-targeted policies but generally was not associated with policies outside the school setting. Attribution of greater responsibility to entities external to children and their parents (schools, the food and beverage industry, and the government) was associated with greater support for both school-targeted and population-based obesity prevention policies. Our findings suggest that the high attribution of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity does not universally undermine support for broader policy action. But appealing to parents to rally support for preventing obesity in the same way as for other parent-initiated social movements (eg, drunk driving) may be challenging outside the school setting.

Efficacy of the »Tuebinger-Intensiv-Programm für Eltern« in Treating Childhood Anxieties - A Pilot Study

Anxiety problems among young children are highly prevalent and related to family factors such as parenting behavior or parental psychological health. The current pilot study examined the effectiveness of the non-specific, short-term, behavioral-hypnotherapeutic parent training Tipe in treating abnormal childhood anxieties. Childhood anxiety, parenting behavior, parenting sense of competence, and psychological stress of the parents were measured at three points in time (pretest, posttest, 3-month follow-up). Obtained data was compared to a waiting-list control condition. After participating, parents of the treatment condition reported less dysfunctional parenting behavior, less psychological stress, and higher parenting sense of competence. Their children were significantly less anxious. These effects were stable after three months. Families of the waiting-list control condition, however, showed no significant changes. We conclude that a general behavioral-hypnotherapeutic parent training positively affects the course of childhood anxiety problems.

Evaluation of Inbred Line Through Line X Tester Method

Early generation evaluation of inbred lines through line × tester method was conducted at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Rahmatpur during rabi 2013-14 in maize involving 12 S4 lines and 2 testers (BIL 28 and BIL 29) for grain yield, yield components and other characters to estimate the general combining ability of the lines and specific combining ability effects of the crosses. Highly significant genotypic differences were observed indicated wide range of variability present among them. The crosses with high SCA effect for grain yield evolved from high × low general combiner parents were revealed additive x dominance type of gene action. The cross combinations E-7 X BIL-29, E-11 X BIL-29, E-10 X BIL-28 and E-9 X BIL-28 with high positive SCA effect having high mean values might be used for obtaining high yielding hybrids. The information on the nature of gene action with respective variety and characters might be used depending on the breeding objectives.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v7i2.22211 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 7(2): 79-84 2014

The effectiveness of a web-based Dutch parenting program to prevent overweight in children 9-13 years of age: study protocol for a two-armed cluster randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundAlthough parental support is an important component in overweight prevention programs for children, current programs pay remarkably little attention to the role of parenting. To close this gap, we developed a web-based parenting program for parents entitled “Making a healthy deal with your child”. This e-learning program can be incorporated into existing prevention programs, thereby improving these interventions by reinforcing the role of parenting and providing parents with practical tools for use in everyday situations in order to stimulate a healthy lifestyle. Here, we report the research design of a study to determine the effectiveness of our e-learning program.Methods/DesignThe effectiveness of an e-learning program was studied in a two-armed cluster randomized controlled trial. Parents of children 9–13 years of age who live in the Nijmegen region, the Netherlands, and who participated in the existing school-based overweight prevention program “Scoring for Health” were invited to participate in this study. Our goal was to recruit 322 parent–child dyads. At the school grade level, parents were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (which received e-learning and a brochure) or the control group (which received only the brochure); the participants were stratified by ethnicity. Measurements were taken from both the parents and the children at baseline, and then 5 and 12 months after baseline. Primary outcomes included the child’s dietary and sedentary behavior, and level of physical activity. Secondary outcomes included general parenting style, specific parenting practices (e.g., set of rules, modeling, and monitoring), and parental self-efficacy.DiscussionWe hypothesize that children of parents who follow the e-learning program will have a healthier diet, will be less sedentary, and will have a higher level of physical activity compared to the children in the control group. If the e-learning program is found to be effective, it can be incorporated into existing overweight prevention programs for children (e.g., “Scoring for Health”), as well as activities regarding Youth Health Care.Trial registrationDutch Trial Register: NTR3938. Date of registration: April 7th, 2013.

What Should General Practice Trainees Learn about Atopic Eczema?

Effective atopic eczema (AE) control not only improves quality of life but may also prevent the atopic march. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) curriculum does not currently provide specific learning outcomes on AE management. We aimed to gain consensus on learning outcomes to inform curriculum development. A modified Delphi method was used with questionnaires distributed to gather the views of a range of health care professionals (HCPs) including general practitioners (GPs), dermatologists, dermatology nurses and parents of children with AE attending a dedicated paediatric dermatology clinic. Ninety-one questionnaires were distributed to 61 HCPs and 30 parents; 81 were returned. All agreed that learning should focus on the common clinical features, complications and management of AE and the need to appreciate its psychosocial impact. Areas of divergence included knowledge of alternative therapies. Parents felt GPs should better understand how to identify, manage and refer severe AD and recognized the value of the specialist eczema nurse. Dermatologists and parents highlighted inconsistencies in advice regarding topical steroids. This study identifies important areas for inclusion as learning outcomes on AE management in the RCGP curriculum and highlights the importance of patients and parents as a valuable resource in the development of medical education.

Is Narcissism Associated with Child Physical Abuse Risk?

The present study was designed to clarify the associations between covert narcissism, overt narcissism, negative affect, and child physical abuse (CPA) risk. It was hypothesized that covert (but not overt narcissism) would be significantly associated with parental CPA risk and that negative affect would partially mediate this association. General population parents (N = 178; 33 % male) with varying degrees of CPA risk completed self-report measures of covert narcissism, overt narcissism, and negative affect. Results revealed that at the bivariate level, covert narcissism and two subscales of the overt narcissism measure (exploitativeness and entitlement) were significantly correlated with CPA risk. However, when covert narcissism and overt narcissism were considered simultaneously in a regression analysis, only covert narcissism emerged as a significant predictor of CPA risk. Results of a path analysis supported the prediction that negative affect partially mediated the association between covert narcissism and CPA risk. Findings from the present study illustrate the value of assessing both overt and covert narcissistic features in research investigating the role of narcissism in interpersonal violence. Moreover, the results revealed that covert narcissism was associated with CPA risk, even after accounting for their mutual associations with negative affect. Additional research is needed to explicate the other cognitive/affective mechanisms through which covert narcissism increases risk of aggressive parenting behavior.

The Role of Food Parenting Skills and the Home Food Environment in Children's Weight Gain and Obesity.

This paper presents an overview to provide readers with an update on the literature about the relation between parental influences (general parenting and food parenting practices) and children’s weight-related outcomes. It first summarizes the evidence regarding the role of food parenting practices in shaping and maintaining children’s nutritional and weight status. It then describes empirical evidence on the relation between general parenting and children’s weight status. This evidence is less convincing, possibly because general parenting has a different, more distal role in influencing child behavior than parenting practices. General parenting may moderate the impact of food parenting practices on children’s nutrition behaviors. Finally, we discuss studies on interventions targeting childhood overweight and obesity. There is no consensus on the optimal intervention targets (i.e., general parenting and/or food parenting practices). Based on the overview, we offer suggestions for future research.

Combining ability studies for yield and other horticultural traits in garden pea (Pisum sativumvar.hortenseL.)

A field study with 8 × 8 diallel analysis (without reciprocals) in garden pea revealed highly significant estimates for general combining ability (gca) except number of green pod picking and specific combining ability (sca) for all the traits thereby indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive genetic variance in the inheritance of these traits. The genotypes Palam Priya and DARL-405 were found to be the most promising per se for most of the traits, whereas the cross combination VL-7 × PB-89 involving good × good general combiner parents was found with good desirable sca effects. The cross combination Palam Priya × DARL-405 was found with best sca effects for pod length, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of primary branches, total soluble solids and second best for green pod yield per plant. To further improve pod yield, inclusion of F1 combinations with high SCA and parents with good GCA in multiple crosses, biparental mating, or diallel selective mating could be a worthwhile approach.

Myths about type 1 diabetes: Awareness and education.

Not all healthcare professionals (HCPs) are aware of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and various myths still exist in the society and among HCPs. The medical challenge in treating T1DM is the confusion between T1DM and T2DM and its management, which is very common and is observed with both general practitioners and parents of children with diabetes. There are multiple medical and social myths associated with diabetes, especially T1DM, prevalent in society. Diabetes management requires support and collaboration from family, school and society, which is sometimes difficult, as they are more discouraging than positive. The launch of the Changing Diabetes in Children program in India has created a lot of awareness and is helping patients and their parents understand the disease.

Awareness among parents of children with thalassemia major from Western India

Background: Parental awareness is the best way to prevent thalassemia in children. Parental knowledge regarding transfusion and chelation helps to improve the quality of life of children with thalassemia. Objective: To determine awareness among parents of children with thalassemia major regarding the transfusion practices and iron chelation. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the thalassemia ward of KT Children Hospital and PDU Medical College, Rajkot, Gujarat, India, from August to October 2012. Parents of children with thalassemia, receiving blood transfusion from PDU Medical College Blood Bank, were interviewed using a predesigned questionnaire. Informed verbal and written consent was obtained from these parents. Questions regarding duration of illness, awareness about blood screening, mode of transmission of the disease, and knowledge and practices about prevention and treatment of the disease were asked. Result: A total of 110 caretakers were questioned. A majority of them were from low socioeconomic class and 18% were illiterate. Among the parents of children undergoing transfusion, only 15.8% knew the importance of blood screening. Although all parents knew about iron overload, but only 48% of the children were receiving iron chelation therapy adequately. Despite of the fact that 15% were aware that thalassemia is an inherited disorder, family screening of sibling and antenatal diagnosis in subsequent pregnancies were done in only 5.8% and 5% respectively. Conclusion: Awareness of the parents regarding the disease was inadequate. General public and parents of children with thalassemia should be sensitized in this regard.

Let’s talk about race and ethnicity: Cultural socialization, parenting quality, and ethnic identity development

Parental cultural socialization and general parenting quality are important predictors of ethnic identity (EI) development in adolescents. However, recent research on transracial adoptive families suggests parents and adolescents may have differing perceptions of parental cultural socialization efforts. This study examines differences in mother and adolescent reports of cultural socialization – both racial and ethnic socialization – and the extent to which mother and adolescent reports relate to EI development (clarity, pride, and engagement), after accounting for general parenting quality, in a US sample of 120 internationally adopted Korean American adolescents. This study also examines whether mother reports of cultural socialization moderate the relationship between adolescent reports of cultural socialization and EI development. Results indicate that mothers and adolescents disagree on levels of racial and ethnic socialization, and mother and adolescent reports of ethnic socialization independently r...

Associations of parental influences with physical activity and screen time among young children: a systematic review.

Parents play a critical role in developing and shaping their children's physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours, particularly in the early years of life. The aim of this systematic review is to identify current literature investigating associations of parental influences with both PA and screen time in young children. This systematic review was conducted in November 2013 using 6 electronic databases covering research literature from January 1998 to November 2013. Thirty articles that met inclusion criteria were identified. These studies covered five important aspects of parenting: (1) parenting practices; (2) parents' role modelling; (3) parental perceptions of children's PA and screen viewing behaviours; (4) parental self-efficacy; and (5) general parenting style. Findings suggest that parents' encouragement and support can increase children's PA, and reducing parents' own screen time can lead to decreased child screen time. Improving parenting practices, parental self-efficacy or changing parenting style may also be promising approaches to increasing PA time and decreasing screen time of young children.

Associations between general parenting, restrictive snacking rules, and adolescent's snack intake. The roles of fathers and mothers and interparental congruence

Introduction: Little research has been done on the role of fathers and parenting congruence between mothers and fathers. This study aimed to clarify the roles of general parenting and restrictive snacking rules set by fathers and mothers, and to explore parenting congruence in explaining adolescents' snack intake. Methods: Adolescents aged 11 to 15 completed a questionnaire assessing their perception of general parenting constructs (i.e. nurturance, structure, behavioral control, coercive control, and overprotection), restrictive snacking rules set by their fathers and mothers, and their own energy-dense snack intakes between meals. Results: Scores for mothers were significantly higher on all constructs than for fathers, except for coercive control. Generally, higher scores on general parenting constructs were associated with higher scores on restrictive snacking rules (most of the associations being significant). Most general parenting constructs were unrelated to the respondents' number of snacks consumed. The use of restrictive snacking rules by both fathers and mothers was significantly and negatively related to respondents' snack intake. Moderation analyses indicated that high levels of incongruence between parents attenuated the favorable impact of fathers' rules and nurturance on their children's snacking, but interactions of congruence with three other paternal scales and all maternal scales were absent. Discussion: Our findings indicate that both paternal and maternal general parenting and restrictive snacking rules play important roles in adolescents' snacking, and that high parental incongruence regarding restrictive snacking rules and nurturance could be undesirable.

The role of general parenting and cannabis-specific parenting practices in adolescent cannabis and other illicit drug use

AimsTo investigate general and cannabis-specific parenting practices in relation to adolescent cannabis and other illicit drug use. MethodsData were derived from the Dutch National School Survey on Substance Use among students (N=3209; aged 12–16 years) and one of their parents in 2011. ResultsLogistic regression analyses revealed that 1) parental cannabis use was significantly related to more adolescent lifetime and recent cannabis use, and 2) restrictive cannabis-specific parental rules were associated with less adolescent recent cannabis and lifetime use of other illicit drugs, even when controlled for sociodemographic factors, general parenting, adolescent tobacco use, and tobacco-specific parenting. In addition, no significant interaction was observed between parental cannabis use and cannabis-specific rules in their relation to adolescent cannabis and other illicit drug use, indicating that cannabis rules are evenly associated with adolescent drug use for families with and without parental cannabis experience. ConclusionsIn addition to general parenting practices, restrictive cannabis-specific rules are related to lower adolescent cannabis and other illicit drug rates. Parents who ever used cannabis have children with a higher prevalence of cannabis use. However, their restrictive cannabis-specific rules are equally related to a lower chance of adolescent cannabis use.

Firm maternal parenting associated with decreased risk of excessive snacking in overweight children.

To examine the relationship between parent feeding practices (restriction, monitoring, pressure to eat), general parenting behaviors (acceptance, psychological control, firm control), and aberrant child eating behaviors (emotional eating and excessive snacking) among overweight and normal weight children. Overweight and normal weight children between 8 and 12 years old and their mothers (n = 79, parent-child dyads) participated in this study. Mothers completed surveys on parent feeding practices (Child Feeding Questionnaire) and child eating behaviors (Family Eating and Activity Habits Questionnaire). Children reported on their mothers' general parenting behaviors (Child Report of Parent Behavior Inventory). Parent and child height and weight were measured and demographic characteristics assessed. Logistic regression models, stratified by child weight status and adjusting for parent BMI, were used to determine which parenting dimensions and feeding practices were associated with child emotional eating and snacking behavior. Overweight children displayed significantly more emotional eating and excessive snacking behavior than normal weight children. Mothers of overweight children used more restrictive feeding practices and psychological control. Restrictive feeding practices were associated with emotional eating in the overweight group (OR = 1.26, 95 % CI, 1.02, 1.56) and excessive snacking behavior in the normal weight group (OR = 1.13, 95 % CI, 1.01, 1.26). When examining general parenting, firm control was associated with decreased odds of excessive snacking in the overweight group (OR = 0.51, 95 % CI, 0.28, 0.93). Restrictive feeding practices were associated with aberrant child eating behaviors in both normal weight and overweight children. Firm general parenting however, was associated with decreased snacking behavior among overweight children. Longitudinal studies following children from infancy are needed to better understand the direction of these relationships.

Ethics in Food Advertising to Children in India—A Parental Perspective

Marketers are seen to bombard children with advertisements for unhealthy foods using sophisticated promotion techniques that have serious negative effects on health and overall well-being of children. So parents try to mediate children’s exposure to media content and call for governmental regulations in an attempt to shield them. The extent to which they mediate further determines whether they contemplate food advertisements as being ethical or unethical. Therefore, the present study tries to uncover the antecedents to ethical versus unethical perceptions of Indian parents about food advertisements directed at children. No study, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, has been conducted so far in India in this regard. Using binary logistic regression with mothers, it is found that the mothers who view food advertisements as unethical report their children to watch fewer hours of TV during weekdays and hold negative attitudes toward advertising to children. These mothers, however, do not feel that the government needs to impose restrictions on food advertisements aired on TV since they themselves indulge in mediation of TV advertising as a general parenting responsibility. The implications of the article are finally discussed.

Meeting the Expectations of the Workplace in the Schoolplace

What do you want to be when you grow up? is a question often asked of children and young adults. To what degree, however, is this question asked of children and young adults who are disabled and particularly those who are visually impaired? The failure to ask this question may reflect limited expectations for employment for this population. Moreover, these limited expectations exist among the general public, parents and families, and employers. THE CHALLENGE Many employers have a limited understanding of the work skills of individuals with visual disabilities. A recent National Industries for the Blind (NIB) study of 400 hiring managers and human resource executives across the United States found that 54% of hiring managers said there were few jobs at their company that employees who are visually impaired would be able to perform (Lynch, 2013). The reality of employment for individuals with visual disabilities is noted in the 2011 statistics reported in the American Community Survey (Erickson, Lee, & von Schrader, 2013), which cites data indicating that under 37% of people with self-reported visual disabilities are working. Only 24%, however, are working full-time year-round. Given the low employment rates for individuals with visual disabilities, schools need to develop programs that emphasize career education and workplace skills. Research has demonstrated a significant relationship between youths who were totally blind or had low vision with paid jobs and those who received training in job skills while they were still in school (Wolffe & Kelly, 2011). The following is a description of one such program at Concordia Learning Center at St. Joseph's School for the Blind (SJSB), in Jersey City, New Jersey. THE WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM The approach A traditional approach to understanding the expectations of the workplace is to focus on future employment. Staff members at SJSB recognize the fact that students already have a job--the job of being students. Expectations for students in their primary workplace, the school, are not unlike expectations for adults in the competitive workplace. These expectations include: being on time; working well with others; being supervised; knowing when and when not to ask for help; communicating effectively; cooperating with colleagues and managers; and respecting others. Students in the Workplace Expectations program also have another job. All are members of the Lunch Delivery program, a project started in 2004 (Miller & Thompson, 2005). Skills include taking an order using appropriate language and manners; using a tape recorder to accurately record the order; using a telephone to clearly communicate the order to the store; verifying that the store recorded the order correctly; and handling money and calculating change when picking up the order. Students receive gratuities from the customers. Students are involved in making decisions about financial compensation. The additional element of compensation makes this a more realistic work experience. Participation in the lunch program requires a variety of skills used in paid employment, including interacting appropriately with customers, accepting responsibility, making decisions, displaying a proper work attitude, engaging in teamwork, and maintaining good health habits. The Workplace Expectations program provides students opportunities to discuss and solve work-related problems that occurred while they were participating in the in the lunch program. The Participants The 2012-2013 school year marked the second iteration of the Workplace Expectations program. The class ran throughout the school year, was held on a biweekly basis, and lasted for one hour. It was conducted as if it were a college class: Students were required to attend on time, bring materials and equipment to take notes, and behave appropriately in the classroom. …

Hong Kong Chinese adolescents' self-reported smoking and perceptions of parenting styles.

Adolescent smoking has been associated with general parenting style, although potential differences between fathers and mothers were seldom investigated, especially in non-Western populations. The aim of this study is to investigate associations between Hong Kong adolescents' smoking and their perceptions of paternal and maternal parenting styles. In a school-based survey in 2006-2007, 33,408 adolescents (44.6 % boys; mean age 14.5 ± 1.3 years) provided information on smoking and the frequency of care and control by each parent, who was classified into one of four adolescent-reported parenting styles: authoritative (high care, high control), authoritarian (low care, high control), permissive (high care, low control), or neglectful (low care, low control). Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of current smoking (past 30 days) for parenting variables, considering potential effect modification by age, sex and parental smoking. Maternal care and control were strongly and significantly associated with lower odds of adolescent current smoking. However, such association was weak for paternal care and observed only in girls. Conversely, paternal control was positively associated with current smoking, especially if the father smoked. The lowest AORs of current smoking were associated with authoritative mothers, permissive fathers and combinations of maternal and paternal parenting styles with an authoritative mother whether or not the father was authoritative. Maternal care, control and authoritative parenting were associated with lower odds of adolescent smoking in Hong Kong. Paternal care was only weakly associated with lower odds of adolescent smoking, and paternal control was even associated with higher odds of smoking.

The long-term effectiveness of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) implemented as a community-wide parenting programme

Short-term effectiveness of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) for parents in the general population has been studied. The aim of this paper was to investigate the longer term impact of the ICDP programme on parents looking for sustained changes 6–12 months after the programme. For this, a non-clinical caregiver group attending the ICDP programme (N = 79) and a non-attending comparison group (N = 62) completed questionnaires on parenting, psychosocial functioning, and child difficulties before, on completion and 6–12 months after the ICDP programme. Analyses compare changes in scores over time. The results revealed that the ICDP group showed significantly improved scores on parenting measures, less loneliness, and trends towards improved self-efficacy compared to the comparison group 6–12 months after programme completion. The ICDP group also reported that their children spent significantly less time on television and computer games and a trend towards fewer child difficulties. Key positive effects sustained over time but at a somewhat lower level, supporting community-wide implementation of ICDP as a general parenting programme. It is concluded that more intensive training with follow-up sessions should be considered to sustain and boost initial gains.

Pain tolerance, pain sensitivity, and accessibility of aggression-related schemata in parents at-risk for child physical abuse

This study examined whether parents with varying degrees of child physical abuse (CPA) risk differed in pain tolerance, pain sensitivity, and accessibility of aggression-related schemata. Participants included 91 (51 low CPA risk and 40 high CPA risk) general population parents. Participants were randomly assigned to complete either an easy or a difficult anagram task. Pain tolerance and pain sensitivity were assessed using a cold pressor task. Accessibility of aggression-related schemata was assessed at the outset of the data collection session and at the end of the session using a word completion task. Parents’ self-reported negative affect was assessed three times over the course of the study: baseline, after the anagram task, and after the cold pressor task. As expected, high-risk (compared to low-risk) parents reported higher levels of negative affect at each time point. Moreover, after completing the difficult anagram task, high-risk (compared to low-risk) parents exhibited higher pain sensitivity during the cold pressor task. Following completion of the cold pressor task, high-risk (compared to low-risk) parents exhibited greater accessibility of aggression-related schemata. Collectively, these findings indicate that under certain conditions, high-risk parents experience a confluence of aggression-related risk factors (i.e., negative affect, pain sensitivity, and aggression-related information processes) that may predispose them to aggressive behavior.