Parent–child relationship of physical activity patterns and obesity

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study differences in physical activity between normal-weight and obese children, as well as parent ± child associations of obesity and physical activity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: 129 obese children (67 girls and 62 boys), 142 normal-weight controls (81 boys and 61 girls), and mothers (n 245) and fathers (n 222) of the children. METHODS: Physical activity was assessed by a 3-day physical activity record (children and parents), by a questionnaire (children), and by one question on habitual physical activity (parents). The data were analysed by stepwise linear and logistic regressions. Obesity was assessed from relative weight (children) and BMI (parents). RESULTS: Parent inactivity was a strong and positive predictor of child inactivity (b-coef®cients 0.25 and 0.16, P`0.001, for mother and father inactivity, respectively). Scores of parent activity were somewhat weaker predictors of child vigorous activity hours and total physical activity level (b-coef®cients 0.13 ± 0.25, P 0.003 ± 0.08). Child obesity was negatively associated with child habitual physical activity (odds ratio 0.88, P`0.001). In addition, parent obesity (body mass index ! 30 kgam 2 ) was another strong predictor of child obesity (odds ratio 2.38 ± 3.50, P`0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The present study underscores the parents' role in childhood activity patterns and obesity. A novel ®nding was that the parent ± child relationship of inactivity appeared to be stronger than that of vigorous activity. Hence, parents who want to reduce their children's inactivity may have to pay attention to their own lifestyle.

Risk factors for childhood overweight in 6- to 7-y-old Hong Kong children

“…Lifestyle factors associated with childhood obesity development in other studies, such as television watching 14 and inactivity, 15,42 were not shown to be important risk factors in our study. Hong Kong children have been noted in other studies to be very inactive, and this was supported by our data which showed that 76% of subjects did no exercise during schooldays and 24% did not have regular exercise on both schooldays and holidays.…”

“…It is generally agreed that obesity is caused by both genetic 9 and environmental factors. 10 Some well-known factors such as parental obesity, 11 excessive energy intake, 12,13 inactivity 14,15 and some new concerns such as early infant nutrition, [16][17][18] maternal smoking 19 and sleep duration 20 have been highlighted. However, in contrast to the genetic determinants, findings related to environmental risk factors, such as social factors, 21 dietary factors and physical activity, 22 have tended to be inconclusive.…”

Parental overweight, socioeconomic status and high birth weight are the major determinants of overweight and obesity in 5–7 y-old children: baseline data of the Kiel Obesity Prevention Study (KOPS)

“…In accordance to our study, von Kries et al identified obesity of the parents, a high birth weight and a low SES as significant risk factors; additionally, TV watching and smoking during pregnancy influenced the risk of childhood overweight. In a multivariate analysis Strauss and Knight, 27 Fogelholm et al, 28 Maffeis et al, 29 as well as Hediger et al, 30 also identified parental overweight and obesity as the strongest determinants of childhood overweight.…”

Is the Environment Near Home and School Associated with Physical Activity and Adiposity of Urban Preschool Children?

“…10 The characteristics of the environment that influence physical activity and body size may be similar for young children and their parents. A child's body size is strongly correlated with his or her parents' body size, 11,12 and parental weight change predicts childhood weight change. 13,14 Very young children depend on an adult to take them out and bring them home.…”