Parenting practices, family characteristics and daily health behaviours and their changes in 10-11-year old children
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Daily health behaviours; a balanced diet, sufficient physical activity and night sleep, and limited sedentary behaviour, are essential for children s energy balance as well as for general well-being. Several characteristics in the family are known as determinants for daily health behaviours. Still, many gaps exist in our knowledge. Specific aims of this study were to examine 1) the associations between parent s sense of coherence (SOC) and children s eating habits, 2) whether parental warmth and responsiveness moderate the associations between parenting practices and children s daily health behaviours 3) whether a free school lunch moderates the associations between parenting practices and children s fruit and vegetable intake and 4) whether parenting practices at baseline predict a favorable change in children s daily health behaviours during an 18-month follow-up. This study was based on two data sets. The Hälsoverkstaden study was conducted among 10-to 11-year-old children in the Helsinki region in 2006 (1284 children and 816 parents participated). A follow-up was performed in 2008. The Pro Greens study was conducted in 2009 in 10 countries among 11-year-old children. This study uses data from four countries with two different school lunch policies; Finland and Sweden (n=1775) which serves a free school lunch, and Germany and the Netherlands (n=1405) with no free lunch. This study showed that a stronger parent s SOC was associated with a higher probability that the child had a regular meal pattern; eating daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, more frequent intake of nutrient-dense foods, and less frequent intake of energy-rich foods. The associations between a higher amount of parenting practices and children s regular meal pattern and intake of nutrient-dense foods were stronger when children simultaneously perceived parental warmth and responsiveness. The associations between parenting practices and intake of energy-rich foods and screen time were stronger when children did not perceive warmth and responsiveness from both of their parents. Most of the clusters of fruit and vegetable related parenting practices were more strongly associated with children s intake of raw and cooked vegetables in Germany and the Netherlands, as compared with Finland and Sweden, both of which have free school lunches. Most health behaviours changed unfavourably during the 18-month follow up. Parenting practices predicted such favourable changes in children s daily health behaviours as higher increase in physical activity, less increase in screen time and soft drink intake, and less decrease in fruit intake. This interdisciplinary thesis showed that parenting practices and parents SOC are important determinants and predictors for 10-11 -year old children s daily health behaviours. The contribution to existing knowledge is useful in families, in schools, in health care, when targeting groups with special needs for example overweight children and their families, and in planning and carrying out health policies in order to promote daily health behaviours and healthy weight status development among school-aged children.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Carola Ray
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1527462612