Childhood obesity and parental reflective functioning: Is there a relation?

Parental Mentalizing during Middle Childhood: How Is the Adoption of a Reflective Stance Associated with Child's Psychological Outcomes?

This exploratory cross-sectional study attempts to understand the mechanisms underlying the role of parental mentalizing in a child's psychological functioning during middle childhood by using Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF) and Parental Insightfulness (PI) constructs. The main aims are to examine the role of PI and PRF as processes capable of influencing a child's psychological functioning in terms of emotional-behavioral difficulties and social-emotional competencies. Eighty-six community parents (48 mothers, 38 fathers) and their 50 children in middle childhood (Mage = 10.10, SD = 1.13) participated in this study, recruited through a non-probabilistic sampling. The following measures were used to assess the aims of this study: Insightfulness Assessment, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) questionnaires. Results showed that parental mentalizing was found to be significantly associated with both child's internalizing and externalizing symptoms and social-emotional competencies as reported by parents through the CBCL and DESSA questionnaires. This study may offer a contribution to the study of parental mentalizing during middle childhood, supporting the hypothesis that both parents' ability to understand their child's mental states could affect the child's psychological functioning. Clinical and theoretical implications are geared toward a family-based view with a specific focus on the importance of fostering in both parents a positive attitude toward mentalizing processes.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire in Chinese Parents

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is important for parenting and child development. To effectively assess PRF in Chinese parents, this study aimed to revise the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ) for the Chinese context. The original Chinese version of the PRFQ (PRFQ-C) was revised by following psychometric validation procedures in a sample of Chinese parents (N = 2,021, 1,034 mothers and 987 fathers). A series of psychometric analyses, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency reliability analysis, discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity analysis, and analysis for measurement invariance between mothers and fathers, were conducted. The CFA results indicated that the final 12-item, three-factor model had a good fit {χ2(49)  =  472.381; CFI = 0.929; TLI = 0.904; RMSEA = 0.065, 90%CI = [0.060, 0.071]}. The Chinese version of the PRFQ with 12 items (PRFQ-12C) showed satisfactory reliability (omega = 0.68–0.82), discriminant validity [heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) values < 0.85], and criterion-related validity. The PRFQ-12C also had measurement invariance across mothers and fathers. In conclusion, the PRFQ-12C is psychometrically sound and can be applied in China.

Establishing the relevance of psychological determinants regarding physical activity in people with overweight and obesity

To identify the most relevant determinants involved in Physical Activity (PA) changes in the EVIDENT 3 study population, measured by the International PA Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Actigraph GT3X accelerometer.

METHOD

Exploratory study. Data used were collected from EVIDENT 3 study (N = 650). Items to measure psychological determinants were chosen from the baseline questionnaires. PA minutes/week were assessed by an accelerometer and IPAQ. The sample was analyzed by the control group (CG), the intervention group (IG) and Body Mass Index, using Confidence Interval-Based Estimation of Relevance (CIBER) analyses.

RESULTS

486 participants, (IG: n = 251, CG: n = 235) were included. IG shows a positive association between PA assessed by accelerometer and self-efficacy. In IG, the overweight sample shows a positive association between PA assessed by accelerometer and motivation and self-efficacy. PA assessed by accelerometer obtained a higher explained variance (R2 ) in IG, both people with overweight (.10 - .55) and obesity (.03 - .19). In CG, IPAQ reached better results in people with overweight (.12 - .49).

CONCLUSIONS

Motivation and self-efficacy showed as relevant in increasing PA minutes/week, but only in the people with overweight in IG. There might be other factors not analyzed that could improve the low R2 obtained.