Parental Communication With Children Around Obesity Management Medications, Weight Loss, and Health Behavior Change

This study aimed to describe parental communication with children around obesity management medications (OMMs) and child, parent, and family factors associated with communication.

Parents (N = 211; 80% mothers; 89% White) prescribed OMMs at a medical center participated in a survey about communication with children about OMM use, weight, and health behaviors. Logistic regression models assessed associations between communication about OMMs and child weight, diet, and activity.

Among study participants, 50% of parents talked with their child about the decision to take OMMs; 75% talked openly about it. Parents with older children were more likely to have open communication about OMMs (OR = 1.10; p = 0.016). Parents with impaired family functioning were less likely to communicate about OMMs (OR = 0.23; p = 0.002). Children who made comments to parents about their own weight were more likely to notice parents' weight loss (OR = 2.70; p = 0.002), be older in age (OR = 1.13; p = 0.006), and have overweight (OR = 3.58; p < 0.001). Parents who reported their child made comments about his or her own diet were more likely to report that their child noticed parents' diet change (OR = 4.40; p < 0.001), had overweight (OR = 2.03; p = 0.046), and had healthy family functioning (OR = 0.42; 95% p = 0.025).

Parents are talking with their children about their OMMs and behaviors, especially with older children, children with overweight, and in families with healthy functioning.