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Parenting styles and body mass index: a systematic review of prospective studies among children

R L Sokol1, B Qin2, J M Poti3

  • 1Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|January 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Authoritative parenting may help prevent childhood overweight and obesity. This review of prospective studies suggests a protective effect, but more research is needed to confirm findings.

Area of Science:

  • Childhood obesity research
  • Developmental psychology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Parenting style is a potential factor influencing long-term weight status.
  • Existing reviews lack focus on prospective studies examining parenting style and weight outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review prospective studies on the relationship between childhood parenting style and subsequent weight outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and PsychInfo databases.
  • Included studies published between 1995 and 2016.
  • Focused on prospective cohort studies evaluating parenting style and weight outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Eleven prospective cohort studies were identified.
  • Five studies indicated authoritative parenting was linked to lower body mass index (BMI) gains.
  • Four of the six highest-quality studies suggested authoritative parenting protects against adverse weight outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Authoritative parenting shows potential as a protective factor against later overweight and obesity, though evidence is mixed.
  • Further prospective cohort studies with longer durations and robust methodologies are required.
  • Research needs to explore age-specific relationships and control for a wider range of confounders.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childrendietary intakeobesityparenting style

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