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Parenting Stress, Child Weight-Related Behaviors, and Child Weight Status

Michelle J White1, Julia C Schechter2, Benjamin Neely3

  • 1Duke Center for Childhood Obesity Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.

Childhood Obesity (Print)
|September 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Parenting stress is linked to children's sedentary time, screen time, and vegetable intake, but not their weight status. Managing parental stress may aid in family-based weight interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Parenting stress is a significant factor influencing family dynamics and child development.
  • Limited research exists on the direct association between parenting stress and specific child weight-related behaviors.
  • Understanding these links is crucial for developing effective childhood obesity prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parenting stress and various child weight-related behaviors.
  • To examine the relationship between parenting stress and child weight status.
  • To explore potential moderating effects of race and family structure on these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 291 mother-child dyads in the Newborn Epigenetic STudy (NEST) longitudinal cohort.
  • Assessed parenting stress and child diet via surveys.
  • Measured child sedentary time and physical activity using accelerometers.
  • Evaluated child weight status using measured height and weight.
  • Employed generalized linear models and restricted cubic splines for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

  • Increased parenting stress was associated with higher child screen time (aOR=1.01).
  • Higher parenting stress correlated with decreased child sedentary time (B=-0.78) and vegetable consumption (aOR=0.98).
  • No significant associations were found between parenting stress and child eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), physical activity, or overall weight status.
  • Nonlinear associations were observed between fast-food intake and parenting stress.
  • Moderating effects of race or family structure were not evident.

Conclusions:

  • Parenting stress is significantly associated with specific child weight-related behaviors, including screen time, sedentary time, and vegetable intake.
  • These associations highlight the importance of addressing parenting stress within family-centered interventions.
  • While parenting stress impacts behaviors, it was not directly linked to child weight status in this cohort.
  • Interventions targeting parenting stress may complement existing strategies for managing child weight-related behaviors.

Keywords:
dietparentingphysical activitystress

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