Mothers' Diet and Family Income Predict Daughters' Healthy Eating

Understanding the degree to which parents may influence healthy behaviors may provide opportunities to intervene among populations at increased risk of diseases, such as breast cancer. In this study, we examined the association between daughters' healthy eating habits and family lifestyle behaviors among girls and their families by using baseline data from the LEGACY (Lessons in Epidemiology and Genetics of Adult Cancer from Youth) Girls Study. Our objective was to examine the relationship between daughters' healthy eating and family lifestyle behaviors and to compare these associations between families with and without a history of breast cancer.

We examined demographic and lifestyle data from a cohort of 1,040 girls aged 6 to 13 years from year 1 (2011) of the LEGACY study. Half had a family history of breast cancer (BCFH). We used mixed-effects linear regression to assess the influence of the mother and father's physical activity, family relationship scores, the mother's diet, the family's income, and the daughter's sports participation, age, body mass index (BMI), and race/ethnicity on the daughter's Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score.

Daughters' healthy eating was significantly correlated with the mother's diet (r[668] = 0.25, P = .003) and physical activity (r[970] = 0.12, P = .002), the father's physical activity (r[970] = 0.08, P = .01), and the family income (r[854] = 0.13, P = .006). Additionally, the mother's diet (β coefficient = 0.71, 95% CI, 0.46-0.88, P = .005) and family income (β coefficient = 3.28, 95% CI, 0.79-5.78, P = .002) significantly predicted a daughter's healthy eating. Analyses separated by family history status revealed differences in these associations. In families without a history of breast cancer, only the mother's diet (β coefficient = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.29-0.95; P = .001) significantly predicted the daughter's healthy eating. In families with a history of breast cancer, the mother's diet (β coefficient = 0.73, 95% CI, 0.42-1.03, P = .006) and family income (β coefficient = 6.24; 95% CI, 2.68-9.80; P = .004) significantly predicted a daughter's healthy eating.

A mother's diet and family income are related to the daughter's healthy eating habits, although differences exist among families by family history of breast cancer.