Do Interventions Targeting Women Impact Children's Health Behaviors?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Child Health

Background:

• Women significantly influence household dietary habits and physical activity levels.
• Maternal health behaviors are critical for lifelong child health outcomes.
• Lifestyle interventions targeting women can impact family health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze changes in children's fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity.
• To examine these changes among children of diverse women in a lifestyle intervention.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a randomized wellness-coaching intervention trial.
• Involved racially and ethnically diverse participants from five communities.
• Collected child behavior change data via interviews at four months.

Main Results:

• 71.9% of children showed increased fruit/vegetable intake; 59.4% increased physical activity.
• No significant differences in child behaviors by intervention arm (p=0.88).
• Maternal fruit/vegetable intake increase correlated with child intake increase (aOR=2.55).

Conclusions:

• Women's health behavior changes in lifestyle interventions are linked to improved child health behaviors.
• Targeting women's health behaviors can positively affect children and household members.
• Highlighting women's role may amplify intervention impact on child health.