Influence of Stress in Parents on Child Obesity and Related Behaviors

Parks, Elizabeth Prout; Kumanyika, Shiriki; Moore, Reneé H.; Stettler, Nicolas; Wrotniak, Brian H.; Kazak, Anne E.

doi:10.1542/peds.2012-0895

Cited by 122 publications

(147 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Our finding that chronicity of negative life events is an important predictor of overweight risk requires replication, particularly because 2 previous studies have reported conflicting results, finding greater chronicity associated with both higher 5 and lower 4 overweight risk. Our finding that the association did not differ based on the timing of exposure to negative life events is similar to most 4,7,8 (but not all 9,11 ) previous studies, suggesting that there does not seem to be a developmental window in childhood during which the association of negative life events or stressors with overweight is more robust. Our finding that the maternalreported impact of negative life events was not associated with overweight risk may be consistent with a previous study demonstrating that the objective report of stressors in the home was predictive of child obesity, whereas the parent' s self-reported perceived stress was not.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Psychological and physiologic adaptation to chronic stress, or allostatic load, 1 has important implications for health and disease. The association between psychosocial stressors and risk of childhood obesity has been documented in several studies, [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] although reports have provided less robust support for the association than anticipated, 9 had null findings, [10][11][12][13] or shown evidence of moderation according to age, 9 gender, 4,5 or other factors. 11,12 Improved understanding of the association between psychosocial stress and childhood obesity would inform interventions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The definition of psychosocial stressors in previous studies has varied, with most studies combining various stressors into risk indices that include parental mental 3,4,8,11,12 and physical 8,11,12 health, child violence exposure, [3][4][5][6]12 socioeconomic stressors, 4,6,8,9,11,12 and nonoptimal family structure and functioning. 6,8,11,12 Another approach involves asking parents to report events that occurred and to rate their impact.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6,8,11,12 Another approach involves asking parents to report events that occurred and to rate their impact. A checklist of events allows the inclusion of common events, and the parent (as opposed to the researcher) assigns the event a negative, positive, or neutral valence.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Overweight Adolescents and Life Events in Childhood

et al. 2013

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Psychosocial stress in childhood has been associated with a greater risk of future overweight, although the associations have not always been consistent, the types of psychosocial stressors have often been somewhat extreme, and moderators of the association have rarely been examined. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:Experiencing many negative life events in childhood, particularly with chronicity or events that are family health related, increases risk of overweight by age 15 years. Maternal obesity and greater delay of gratification for food each intensify this risk.abstract OBJECTIVES: To test the association of life events in childhood with overweight risk in adolescence; to examine the effects of chronicity, timing, intensity, valence, and type of life events; and to test potential moderators.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Overweight Adolescents and Life Events in Childhood

et al. 2013

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“…58 Other parental stressors that influence BMI levels in children include violence, serious life events, food or housing insecurity, maternal depression or substance abuse, and paternal incarceration. [59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67] For many studies, SES was a controlled variable in order to determine associations with other psychosocial stressors, but an article by Garasky et al 68 found that financial strain was positively associated with children being overweight or obese.…”

Section: Sleepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical and non-chemical stressors affecting childhood obesity: a systematic scoping review

Lichtveld

Thomas

Tulve

2017

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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Childhood obesity in the United States has doubled over the last three decades and currently affects 17% of children and adolescents. While much research has focused on individual behaviors impacting obesity, little research has emphasized the complex interactions of numerous chemical and non-chemical stressors found in a child's environment and how these interactions affect a child's health and well-being. The objectives of this systematic scoping review were to (1) identify potential chemical stressors in the context of non-chemical stressors that impact childhood obesity; and, (2) summarize our observations for chemical and non-chemical stressors in regards to child-specific environments within a community setting. A review was conducted to identify chemical and non-chemical stressors related to childhood obesity for the childhood life stages ranging from prenatal to adolescence. Stressors were identified and grouped into domains: individual behaviors, family/household behaviors, community stressors, and chemical exposures. Stressors were related to the child and the child's everyday environments and used to characterize child health and well-being. This review suggests that the interactions of chemical and non-chemical stressors are important for understanding a child's overall health and well-being. By considering these relationships, the exposure science research community can better design and implement strategies to reduce childhood obesity.

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African American mothers' perceptions of infant body size are prospectively associated with infant growth and BMI

Rothman

Shirley

Parks

et al. 2023

American J Hum Biol

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Objectives The effect of mothers' perceptions of infant body size on infant growth and later BMI is poorly understood. We aimed to assess whether maternal perceptions were associated with infant BMI and weight gain and to identify factors that may influence maternal perceptions. Methods We analyzed data from a prospective, longitudinal study of pregnant African American women living with healthy weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2) or obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). We collected sociodemographic, feeding mode, perceived stress, depression, and food insecurity information. The African American Infant Body Habitus Scale assessed maternal perceptions of infant body size at age 6 months. A “maternal satisfaction with infant body size” score was derived. Infant BMI z‐scores (BMIZ) were calculated at 6 and 24 months. Results Maternal perception and satisfaction scores did not differ between obese (n = 148) and healthy weight (n = 132) groups. Perception of infant size at 6 months was positively associated with infant BMIZ at 6 and 24 months. A positive association of maternal satisfaction scores with change in infant BMIZ from 6 to 24 months indicated that BMIZ changed less for infants whose mothers preferred them to be smaller at 6 months. Perception and satisfaction scores were not associated with feeding variables, maternal stress, depression, socioeconomic status, or food security status. Conclusion Mothers' perceptions of and satisfaction with infant size correlated with current and later infant BMI. However, mother's perceptions were not associated with maternal weight status or other factors explored for their potential to impact maternal perceptions. Further work is needed to elucidate factors linking maternal perception/satisfaction and infant growth.

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Influence of Stress in Parents on Child Obesity and Related Behaviors

Cited by 122 publications

References 41 publications

Overweight Adolescents and Life Events in Childhood

Overweight Adolescents and Life Events in Childhood

Chemical and non-chemical stressors affecting childhood obesity: a systematic scoping review

African American mothers' perceptions of infant body size are prospectively associated with infant growth and BMI

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