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Associations between parental impulsivity and child body mass index
Ester F C Sleddens1, Gill A Ten Hoor2, Gerjo Kok3
1Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center+, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Insights
Parental impulsivity, not child impulsivity, is linked to higher child BMI z-scores in daughters. Parenting styles may explain this association, suggesting a focus for future research on childhood obesity prevention.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Health
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
- Parental traits, such as impulsivity, may influence child health outcomes.
- Understanding the interplay between parental and child characteristics is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental impulsivity and child body mass index (BMI) in adolescents aged 12-15 years.
- To explore the potential mediating role of child impulsivity in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 300 parents assessing their impulsivity and their child's impulsivity.
- Parent and child height and weight data were collected to calculate BMI z-scores.
- Partial correlations and mediation analyses were used to examine the relationships between parental impulsivity, child impulsivity, and child BMI z-scores.
Main Results:
- Parental impulsivity showed a significant correlation with child BMI z-scores in daughters.
- Child impulsivity, as reported by parents, was not significantly related to child BMI z-scores.
- No evidence of child impulsivity mediating the link between parental impulsivity and child BMI z-scores was found.
Conclusions:
- Parental impulsivity is more strongly associated with child BMI z-scores than child impulsivity.
- Parenting styles and practices may mediate the relationship between parental impulsivity and child BMI.
- Future research should consider parenting factors when examining the role of personality in childhood overweight and obesity.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to examine the association between parental impulsivity and (12-15 year old) child body mass index (BMI).
Methods:
In total, 300 parents completed a survey regarding their own impulsivity level (Barratt impulsiveness scale) and that of their child (impulsivity scale of the temperament in middle childhood questionnaire), and supplied details of their own and their child's height and weight. Partial correlations were computed to assess relationships between both parental and child impulsiveness scores and child BMI z-scores, independent of parental BMI. Mediation analyses were performed to assess the potential mediating role of child impulsivity on the relationship between parental impulsivity and child BMI z-score.
Results:
For daughters, parental impulsivity was significantly correlated with BMI z-score. Parent-reported child impulsivity was not related to child BMI z-score, and no evidence was found for a mediating effect of parent-reported child impulsivity on the relationship between parental impulsivity and child BMI z-score.
Conclusion:
There is a stronger association between parental impulsivity and child BMI z-score than between child impulsivity and child BMI z-score. The relationship between parental impulsivity and-child BMI z-score could possibly be explained by parenting styles and practices. The potentially mediating role of parenting should be taken into account in future studies investigating the role of personality in children becoming overweight or obese.
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