Parental Monitoring of Children’s Media Consumption

Abstract

Importance Although children's media consumption has been one of the most robust risk factors for childhood obesity, effects of specific parenting influences, such as parental media monitoring, have not been effectively investigated. Objectives This study examined the potential influences of maternal and paternal monitoring of child media exposure and children's general activities on children's BMI in middle childhood. Design A longitudinal study, taken from a subsample of the Three Generational Study, with assessments at children's ages of 5, 7, and/or 9 years collected from 1998-2012. Setting The Three Generational Study, a predominantly Caucasian, Pacific-Northwest U.S. community sample (overall participation rate 90%). Participants Analyses included 112 mothers, 103 fathers and their 213 children (55% girls) at ages 5, 7, and/or 9 years. Participation rates ranged from 67% to 72% of all eligible Three Generational Study children across the three assessments. Main Exposures Parents reported on their general monitoring of their children (whereabouts and activities), specific monitoring of child media exposure, children's participation in sports and recreational activities, children's media time (hours/week), annual income, and education level. Parental BMI was recorded. Main Outcome Measure Predictions to level and change in child BMI z scores were tested. Results Linear mixed-effects modeling indicated that more maternal, but not paternal, monitoring of child media exposure predicted lower child BMI z scores at age 7 years (95% CI, −.39 – −.07) and less steeply increasing child BMI z scores from ages 5-9 years (95% CI, −.11 – −.01). These effects held when controlling for more general parental monitoring, and parent BMI, income and education. Results supported that the significant negative effect of maternal media monitoring on children's BMI z scores at age 7 years was marginally accounted for by the effect of child media time. The maternal media monitoring effect on children's BMI z score slopes remained significant once adjusting for children's media time, and sports and recreational activity. Conclusions This study suggests that parental behaviors related to children's media consumption may have long-term impacts on children's BMI in middle childhood. The results underscore the importance of targeting parental media monitoring in efforts to prevent childhood obesity.

Child behaviors associated with childhood obesity and parents’ self-efficacy to handle them: Confirmatory factor analysis of the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist

“…Interestingly parental monitoring of children’s eating was correlated with low scores for screen time problematic behavior. A recent US study has reported how maternal monitoring of preschoolers’ media time was associated with lower child BMI SDS [ 45 ]. Together the results suggest that monitoring is an important parenting practice for promoting a healthy lifestyle for children [ 22 , 23 ].…”

Peer teasing experiences of fathers and their children: Intergenerational associations and transmission mechanisms

“…As described in Tiberio et al (2014) weight and height of the G3 child were measured using scale and tape when assessments occurred on site, and in other cases from parents by phone. To correct for age variation in the assessments the z BMI then was calculated relative to national norms (i.e., not a z -score based on the present sample mean).…”

“…Parents also can help children manage bullying or offset its negative effects (e.g., Bowes, Maughan, Caspi, Moffitt, & Arseneault, 2010). Additionally, parent behaviors and characteristics influence the child risk characteristics that are linked with victimizing peers and being victimized, such as aggression, social withdrawal, poor social skills, and obesity (e.g., Albuquerque, Stice, Rodríguez-López, Manco, & Nóbrega, 2015; Kim, Capaldi, Pears, Kerr, & Owen, 2009; Shaffer, Burt, Obradović, Herbers, & Masten, 2009; Tiberio et al, 2014). …”

The More and Less Study: a randomized controlled trial testing different approaches to treat obesity in preschoolers

“…A better conceptualization of restriction and control is needed to understand the positive and negative effects on weight development [ 37 , 45 , 53 , 54 ]. Parental monitoring has also been associated with healthy child behaviors and weight status, but the strength of associations is not as strong [ 49 , 55 – 57 ], possibly due to parents awareness of the importance of such practices (social desirability) leading to high floor and ceiling effects in responses to items [ 58 ].…”