ARS | Publication request: Parenting practices were associated with children's TV viewing among overweight and obese children

Submitted to: Pediatric Academic Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 11, 2011
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Citation: O'Connor, T., Watson, K., Hilmers, A. 2011. Parenting practices were associated with children's TV viewing among overweight and obese children [abstract]. In: Program Guide of the Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2011 Joint Meeting, April 30-May 3, 2011, Denver, Colorado. p. 221.

Technical Abstract: An expert panel recommended that TV reduction should be a component in obesity treatment programs. Parents are an important social influence on children and could be a target for interventions. Valid measures of TV-parenting practices (PP) are needed to understand parental influences on children's TV viewing and to evaluate potential mediating effects of TV parenting components in lifestyle programs to improve children's weight status. The objective of our study was to evaluate the construct validity of a multi-factor TV-PP measure among primarily Hispanic-American families with overweight or obese children. Analysis of the baseline data from a pilot study of an obesity treatment program (Helping HAND) was conducted (n=40). Family demographics, parent report of children's TV viewing, and parents' and children's height and weight were measured. In addition, parents completed previously published TV, fruit and vegetable (FV) and physical activity (PA)-PP measures. The 15 item TV-PP measure was originally developed and validated among a general sample of Dutch parents with 5-12 year old children. Pearson's correlations were investigated and linear regression analysis of children's TV viewing (dependent variable) with 3 subfactor's of TV-PP: instructive (5 items), social co-viewing (5 items), and restriction (5 items) PP were conducted, while controlling for demographics, TV in child's bedroom, number of household TV's, and parent and child BMI. Participants included 5-8 year old children with BMI 85-99% tile and their parents: 82.5% were Hispanic, 80% had a girl, and 65% reported income less than or equal to $30,000/year. Restrictive TV-PP were inversely associated with TV viewing among children (p=0.026) in the adjusted analyses. Restrictive TV-PP correlated with effective FV-PP sub-factors (responsive, structure and non-directive control), but not in-effective FV-PP or PA-PP. Targeting parents to use more restrictive TV-PP could be an effective component for child obesity treatment programs. Research needs to investigate how parents use context specific PP in combination for different lifestyle behaviors such that effective obesity–related PP can be promoted.