The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is on the rise worldwide. Family is the fundamental institution to socialize and raise children. The global influences of parenting style and family functioning may provide a context and influence the delivery and impact of specific parent behaviors. Studies have found that various child-feeding behaviors, such as monitoring, pressure to eat, or restriction, are associated with child weight gain. However, it is speculated the relationship between specific child-feeding behaviors and child weight status might vary under different parenting styles.
A child-feeding questionnaire and a parenting style questionnaire were administered to parents of 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders of an lementary school in central Taiwan. A total of 833 parents responded and the information collected from the questionnaires was matched with their children's weights and heights measured by the student health center.
Preliminary results show that, using a gender- and age-adjusted Body Mass Index classification scheme, 14.9% of the 833 students were overweight and 15.7% of them were considered as obese. Several child-feeding behaviors of the parents were found to be associated with their children's weight status; however, the association patterns differ by their parents' parenting styles. For example, mothers with stronger perceived responsibility (towards child's dietary intakes) and monitoring were less likely to have an overweight child, but this association was seen only among the mothers with a more authoritative parenting style.
Parental involvement in interventions on childhood obesity is common, parents should be aware of their parenting styles and use appropriate child-feeding behaviors.
