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The influence of parenting change on pediatric weight control

Richard I Stein1, Leonard H Epstein, Hollie A Raynor

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA. LHENET@acsu.buffalo.edu

Obesity Research
|November 16, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Increased father acceptance during pediatric obesity treatment predicts better weight loss maintenance. This finding highlights the crucial role of parental support in children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric obesity research
  • Behavioral psychology
  • Family studies

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Behavioral family-based treatments are a common approach for pediatric obesity.
  • The role of parenting styles in treatment outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine parenting style as a predictor of weight loss maintenance in pediatric obesity treatment.
  • To assess the impact of baseline and in-treatment parenting on children's weight change.
  • To determine the unique contribution of parenting dimensions beyond adherence and demographics.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty obese children in a behavioral family-based treatment program were studied.
  • Hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess predictors of weight change.
  • Percentage overweight change was measured at 6 and 12 months.

Main Results:

  • Children showed significant decreases in percentage overweight at 6 and 12 months.
  • Adherence to program goals accounted for 10.8% of the variance in weight control.
  • Father's acceptance (baseline and change) explained an additional 20.5% of the variance.
  • Youth with increased father acceptance showed greater weight reduction.

Conclusions:

  • Increased father acceptance during treatment is associated with better weight loss outcomes in children.
  • Parental acceptance may be a key factor in the success of pediatric obesity interventions.
  • Further research should explore other parenting dimensions and methods to enhance parental acceptance.
Abstract

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